Facing directly into a stiff breeze, wings gently quivering,tail fanned out and motionless head pointing earthwards, the kestrel hovered about fifty feet above the meadow.

With eyes firmly focussed on a potential prey item which could have been a vole, lizard, beetle or perhaps a juicy worm, she slowly eased herself lower and lower in stages, rather like a lift descending in a building and stopping at every floor.

Then came the final plunge to ground but seconds later she rose, having apparently missed her target and flew straight towards me, alighting on the lowest branch of a tree directly above,just feet away.

The bird was a juvenile female (pictured) in pristine condition. Between bouts of preening and showing no fear of me, she peered down with fierce yellow-rimmed eyes, a gaze which would momentarily send a shiver down the spine of a vole about to be pounced on!

Being so close afforded me a rare chance to appreciate just how beautiful the plumage of a kestrel is being black barred and streaked rufous brown with yellow legs.

After a while, no doubt bored with our little game and perhaps giving way to pangs of hunger she took off and flew back to the meadow to search for an afternoon snack, leaving me to ponder on the pleasure of having been part of such a fascinating close encounter of the bird kind.