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
A rather frenzied feed going on in the corner of the box, didnt see what it was but the female is completely hemmed in and is being buffetted around!
Thanks for the updates yesterday Michael! I did manage to check-in on them at about 9 a.m. and caught a 'food fight' between them (Mum/Dad must have just left). I, too, was worried about little 'un. HOWEVER, what I saw at that 9 a.m. feed yesterday morning had me cheering him/her on (at the monitor!) So, now I have time to share what happened.
They were doing the ripping it apart thing between them, little 'un tried to get involved at first but then just withdrew and watched the others. THEN, s/he snatched a piece off one of the others, turned his/her back on all of them and ate it!! :) Capture (see him/her holding it with their little talons):
So, perhaps a clever little 'un? Let them do the hard work and then snatch it!
As I type, Mum just brought food in and is dishing it out. Let's hope not another juvenile Robin :(( I love this family but am soooo glad they don't live near me!!
Just as I was leaving the visitor centre yesterday in came mum with what looked like a young blackbird or something of a similar size, it took a good 10 minutes for it all to go down. The smaller chick swallowed a whole wing! it had feathers poking out of his mouth for ages, I was actually quite worried he was going to choke, but he seems fine this morning, just working on a serious pellet...
Thanks Robert, at least between us we know that the smaller one is getting food. Meanwhile, I have a question about the chicks last year: Why, out of 4 chicks, did only 2 survive to fledge? Why and and what stage (age wise) did 2 die?
Chicks are spark out at the moment, but have had a few feeds today. The male is still bringing in food and tending to leave it. One of the larger chicks managed to swallow a vole whole but the female is still coming in and taring food apart and sharing it around a bit more.
Hazel - as with this year 4 out of five eggs hatched in 2010 the 3rd and 4th hatched just as a cold, wet spell arrived so not much food was being brought in and they both died within the first couple of days. They were then eaten by their hungry siblings. This sounds gruesome but is common place with birds of prey and is a survial stradegy to ensure that at least one or two will fledge. This year the weather has been better esspecially when the chicks first hatched. The food supply has been really good and all four chicks are looking really healthy even the smaller one. The poorer weather today has meant less food but it has been coming in and the forecast is better tomorrow. The most this female has successfully raised is three and it is very unusual for kestrels to have more than that number fledge but the most vunerable stages (the first few days) have passed and it would be great to have all four survive!
Hope this helps?
Thank you so much for the indepth reply Michael! Indeed, all four look to me to be quite healthy but as it's my first year of Kestrel watching, what do I know?! I remember Mark Singleton commenting in this thread about the chicks last year so I was intrigued to know what happened, maybe to prepare myself for the worst this year! It's great to know that the most vulnerable stages have passed. Thank you. Fingers crossed that nothing drastic happens from here on in and all four fledge :)
The main danger is the youngest still getting enough food, especially as the male tend to fly in and leave the food for the chicks to fight over or just give the lizards to the one at the front. The female is still more attentive and shares the food out better.
The adult feathers are starting to appear on the bigger chicks and these should be even more visible in the next couple of days. The oldest chicks are 15 days old and will be ready to fledge in just under 3 weeks!
Three weeks! Might have to see if I can do the three hour drive down around that time! I read that juvenile Kestrel's remain dependent on their parents for approx. four weeks after leaving the nest. Will they all stay around Arne in that time?
Feeding frenzy between the four - a small bird. Can't be sure who brought it in - thought it was Mum but she just left it? They were moving so quick my captures are a little blurry so won't post!