Our Kestrels are now live on the Arne website! The female has been sitting on the eggs for 32 days so the first should hatch any time. She seems particularly restless today and sometimes you can even hear the chicks calling from the eggs. Who will be the first to see a hatched chick? It would be great to see everyones observations on this forum so we can keep updated with all the excitement! To see the webcam follow: http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/a/arne/webcam.aspx
Ok, probably bored you all silly.
Right now can here a dog barking off this webcam.
Dark in the nest box, can't see a thing, but it was definately a dog.
Back to school for me again, meant HEAR ...
My mistake, think I got a bit confused and read some of the earlier posts wrong - keeps you on your toes though! Maybe we may be lucky in the morning though!
Good Morning All,
Been watching for 10 mins or so, maybe missed one of their scrummy breakfasts, not a lot happening, Mrs K just getting ready for the day (feather care).
It was a whopper of a vole as you say Hazel.
How long before we should assume the last egg won't hatch Michael? I fear any chick that emerges now won't be able to compete!
I was wondering that too Dom. Over to the guys in the know on that one.
There was a feed at 8 a.m ish - had a desk full of paperwork so couldn't get to the keyboard :( - didn't see what was brought in. One of them didn't get much though :(
Another feed now, again missed what it was. So, I'm not being very helpful am I?!
It was big and fat and rodent-shaped whatever it was. Glad to see the slightly smaller chick at the back is getting fed in turn - it's in a less advantageous position.
Definitely one unhatched egg still.
What IS that noise in the background? Had to turn the sound down!
Glad they all got a good share of the food this time.
Dom - Yes there is definately one egg still remaining, perhaps if it doesn't hatch today then we can probably assume it is infertile, the same happened last year too. Really laying five eggs is a bit of an insurance policy and to successfully raise three chicks would be really good news.
Hazel - The noise you can hear in the background is the machinery we have here, tractors and the like. It can be quite noisy during the week but that doesnt seem to bother the kestrels. We have put signs up politely asking staff and volunteers to watch their language though!
I still havent got a good look of the chicks this morning, I still want to confirm that there are still four there!
Thanks for the info Michael.
There was definately, without doubt, four little ones at the 8 a.m. feed!
Well, if you've got the tractors out it should be a good day for voles then! That's from the Kestrel's point of view - not the vole's :\ !!