We have all waited patiently with fingers crossed to see if our pair of buzzards would settle down and raise a family on our webcam nest but after a lot of early activity they seem to gone to somewhere else. So not to worry here at Arne we have always got something else up our sleaves and I am sure a lot of you will remember our kestrel family from last year. They had a brilliant 2011 by succesfully raising four healthy chicks including the smallest one that worried a few people early on.
We have decided to put this nest back online now and you can also come and watch it in the visitor centre. The female is sitting on 5 eggs at the moment and this is the same as last year although one failed to hatch. We are not sure when she laid her eggs as she was already sitting on the 5 when we turned the camera back on a week ago. However we think she is at least 2 weeks earlier than last year and the first chick actually hatched on the 21st May 2011. It is a bit difficult to predict when they will hatch but the female will incubate for about 28. So given this information please feel free to have guesses on dates!
To Watch this webcam online follow the link on our main web page or click here http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/a/arne/webcam.aspx
Don't be confused by the buzzard information still on the page it will be updated in the next couple of days!
Hi scylla - Thanks for the download. Couldn't clearly see what they had! Carry on watching us along with the ospreys!!
Cmon Michael get it sorted..:-)
Hope you had a decent break..!
Capturing the Light with an original perspective displayed in every Photograph..perhaps
Camera back on line - Female brought in what looked like a mouse. As they are getting larger she is leaving them on their own a bit more! Don't worry iff you don't see her for a while - she'll be back!
That was a feeding frenzy and a half! Dad brought in some pudding! Did you notice the chick at the back who's eyes were too big for it's mouth! Got it down eventually tho :-)
Jo T Always on the side of the feathered guy!
Great to have the cam back - thank you - and you've tweaked the colour settings too! Meanwhile, thanks to everyone for updates and... scylla ... loved your video! A very welcome fix with the cam down! You must have had a premonition. Here's Mom on lookout ...
Yes the colours have come back better - it was worth the down time!
Evening all, just logged on at last - terrible withdrawal symptoms while at work :) EDGEBANDER thanks for the info on grass snakes versus slow worms, love the pic of the latter. I hope you're lucky this year and they take up your offer of a nice home. As a child a friend captured one and called it Rosie; he ignored my advice to let it go free but thankfully did after a couple of days, after its tail (the tip) came off in his hand. He was crying his eyes out thinking it was serious, as did I at the time, and it wasn't until I was in my twenties that I found out that this is natural, a defense mechanism. Doesn't work with this pair though does it? :)))
Oh - and I forgot to say thanks for all the lovely pics and posts, brb laptop slow again
20.53: enter mum with supper; decent sized ?rodent or could have been a small bird. Hopefully someone will be recording this; the chick at the front kept getting what looked like black feathers stuck to its beak. Sorry I didn't see it properly - mum dashed in with her back to the cam, but I can confirm it was......very crunchy :)
Either this laptop has finally lost the will to live, or the cam's off now. Will try and pop back later :) 21.30