Kestrels. Life in the box

Former Contributor
Former Contributor

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

  • Slightly better capture to show there are three:

    Every now and again I hear squawking from outside the box which could be one of the parents but actually sounds like the fledgling (can't really justify why I think that ... just the tones).

  • Oh, gosh, Dom ... you're on-site :)  Here's me capturing crazy thinking you and others are missing it LOL!  Well that's proper teamwork then - I'm on the inside job and you're on the outside job!  (I'm glad it's that way round if it's raining LOL).

  • Why hello kestrel fans. I go to Radipole for just one day and boom! I miss the first one going. typical. Well as you've all seen one has come back already and I wouldn't be surprised if the other comes back either, or at least hangs around the farm for a while. The remaining two still look quite far behind so I'm still putting my neck out and saying it will take untill Sunday for them all to go...hmmm we'll see...

  • Former Contributor
    Former Contributor 24/06/2011 00:35 in reply to Robert Farrington

    Blimey, off site for a day and look what happens. I am in Northampton and still couldn't help looking! - I did say Friday so I think I'm closer than Rob! So have some gone and then come back? - can't see if there is a fourth back or not.

  • Oh Michael, two went this morning and one came back around 1 p.m.  At this point definately just three in the box so, unless s/he returns later, s/he will have it's first night out in the big wide world!  Think you might be right with your prediction of Friday (well, three quarters right anyway!)

    Dom, you said Thursday :)  Well, at first you were half right!! Now, a quarter right LOL!  

    Me?  I said Saturday 26th!!!!!!!!!!!  So was it a typo or was I hedging my bets? LOL.

    Robert ... Sunday?  Well, at this point, you may still be three quarters right!

    Well, we're just gunna have to keep watching.  Gawd bless all of 'em anyway ;)

  • So basically I think I win right? :-)

  • Some photos of one of the fledglings taken early this afternoon:

    A heavy rain shower eventually drove it back inside. I believe the other fledgling was calling from nearby.

  • Webcam not working this morning? :-(

  • Good morning Dom, serious bad timing for it to go down huh?!!!!!  I've been trying on and off for a while.  Anything and everything could be happening.  I so hope we don't have an empty box when it comes back on :(((

    Great photos you took yesterday :)  thank you so much for posting them!  I put a time on the captures when I save them, here's the one at 1233:

    The next two don't quite correspond in the direction they are looking :( but here's one I put 1302 on:

    and here's the one I put 1303 on:

    Think you must have shouted "watch the birdie" a second or two before or after either one of those!

  • Still no webcam - this is torture!!