love their spunk. And I know it's an attempt to humanize, but sometimes they appear as if they were flying for the sheer joy of it. The first animal I ever took to a rehabber was a kestrel. I can only imagine how terrified it must have been when I bent to scoop it up. My mother wouldn't have approved of me having it in the house, so I had to hide it in my room until my grandpa (who understood the situation)could get a hold of his neighbor, who was a certified rehabber, to ask when we could bring it. I kept it in a cat carrier with a cloth over it to darken it, but once the bird cried out in that loud shrill "KEEEE KEEEE KEEEEE!" and Mom came to the top of the stairs and called down to ask what that noise was she'd just heard. I told her it was the radio and she actually bought it, which is no surprise, considering the junk I listened to in high school. As a kid I was always running in and asking for a coffee can with a good tight lid or a jar or something, so by then she should have known better. Anyway, the kestrel ended up making the rounds of classrooms and nature awareness programs because its wing was permanently damaged.

Sadly I cannot see the pics. But having known an American Kestrel up close and personal, I know they are incredibly beautiful and colorful falcons. They will sometimes take small birds, but definately not their primary diet. They will nest in appropriate nestboxes in the right habitat, but they also have to compete with the invasive European Starling. When we lived on a farm, we had kestrels nest in a box mounted right outside our window, so we could watch them bring food to their young, and perch nearby to hunt. What a wonderful memory. Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ecs/wild/kestrel.pdf

Yeah, the body parts can get to most people : ( Most raptors return to the same area, and many to the same nest site. But: I don't know about kestrels! Here's the thing: Someone will use that cavity, so it's a good idea to close it off after the bebes fledge. I am a bit confused by your last observation. American kestrels that are "immature" look pretty much like mature birds. You'd have to get a close look to see if they are really immature. You know, American kestrel populations have taken a hit recently, and I think it's because of poison (they are big insect eaters, and so suffer from secondary poisoning) and decline of suitable habitat and nest sites. I worked at a wild bird rehab center for over 10 years, and we noticed that many of the kestrel chicks we got were from cities, which was encouraging and rather startling, as these are birds that depend on grasslands for hunting. Here is a link that might be useful: AK info

Congratulations to Cryptid for the poetry contest!! Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote. Darrin, please pick 10 packs from my trade list and email me your choices. For our two runners up, gardener365 and blossombrigade, please pick 3 packs from my trade list and email me your choices. Thanks to everyone who participated! Holy Cow! Wow! I actually won?! What a great day this day has been,...I even found a quarter on the ground when Elly & I were out grocery shopping! Thank you so very much, everyone! This is definitely a first for me regarding GardenWeb themed swaps. But more importantly, as did Erica, I totally likewise thank my fellow participants for their excellent entries as well! - Again,...Wow!