From the time I was about 8 years old(1950) and used to called them "Sparrow Hawks", I have always paid attention to American Kestrels_whether I was in a car or on foot. The beautiful colors of the male, they way they hover over a field while hunting, and the way they speed through over your head while giving you only a brief glimpse of them. It's very difficult for me to not try to photograph this bird. Since they are by nature reluctant to let people get too close, getting a decent picture is very difficult. The pictures in this gallery are my best efforts to date, but of course I'll be continuing to aim for the more than decent pictures that I want.