Posing - American Kestrel

American Kestrel with prey, Santa Cruz, CA. This small and colorful falcon, the only known in the Americas, is also known as the Sparrow Hawk. These birds can be very difficult to photograph as they are not only small, but also shy and extremely fast. This photo required some patience to slowly approach the bird, and given the dim light it required a tripod - not a good mix when trying to move towards a shy subject.