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
I definately think that all four have left the box today at some point, which means I win!!! - To be honest though I think one needs to leave for the first time. Still interesting that lots of food is still coming in - at this rate they would do well to still hang around at get fed by mum and dad!
I think we need a steward's inquiry Michael!
Erm, why the dead stoat?
Well I didn't put the stoat there Dom! Just wanted to clarify that because my name appears next to it - edgebander has quoted what I said in this thread earlier about the vole.
2 birds in residence this morning. Dad back with a small mammal I think - gobbled by one the youngsters.
Er, just one now. The other must have hopped out. Missed it whilst writing the above!
Think there must be 2 on the roof from the sounds they're making.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i bet one be back my guess 2 will be back
One is back now.
So all four chicks fledged today! So I think we will have to give that one to Hazel - although she did say Saturday the 26th?!! It is brilliant that all four survived to leave the nest, it must be some sort of record, well for Arne atleast!
The chicks do keep reappearing but I think we will have a completely empty box in the next day or so.
Thanks to everybody who has contributed to this forum, it has been a big success and it was good to share the excitement ( and a few little traumas) with everyone! The camera will still be on for the weekend atleast so it will be interesting to see how many times they come back?
We will hopefully be switching over to our three Barn owl chicks soon and I will let you know as soon as that happens!
Thanks again for everybodies updates and opinions, particularly Hazel and Dom for your avid watching, it has made it all great fun!
I will try and do a bit of a summary in a blog in the next few days.
Regards Michael
Congratulations to mum, dad and chicks! Also well done to the nestbox and webcam team.
If you need any video footage for a compilation package I have snippets recorded off the webcam from most days Michael. Quality not as good as the direct feed to the visitor centre obviously.
I guess we will have to learn to love the barn owls now! Their nestbox looks a bit like a padded cell at an insane asylum however. Somebody needs to decorate. :-)
A new photographic project anyway...
P.S. Pretty sure I can still hear the kestrels calling in the background which is a pleasing reminder!