Windhover (Kestrel)

One of my favorite poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins is called “The Windhover” in which he describes the experience of seeing a Kestrel in flight.

“I caught this morning morning’s minion, king-
dom of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate’s heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,—the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!”

I think this image shows what he is talking about.

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