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!
Just turned on - eating again - no wonder they are so big!
Will be off-line again until Sunday, they really do look as though they are ready to go.
Is it just me or have two chicks gone?
Jo T Always on the side of the feathered guy!
Hi Jot; just logged on and yes, definitely only 2 chicks now.
Well, if you think we're leaving yet......perhaps wait for mum/dad to drop off a snack first
Perhaps they can see their brothers/sisters nearby. All good wishes that they fledged safely and sorry not to see them go:(
So 2 of the chicks have gone already. I said earlier in the week that this weekend might be a bit too early - Wrong! When we turned the screen on this morning there were just 2 left so we went down to the farm and there were 2 juvenile kestrels were flying around the farm yard. In the next few days look out for them sitting on fence posts in the nearby meadows.
I think the smallest one will be a couple more days yet but I have noticed that there is a lot less food being brought in. This may be the parents attempt to coax them out of the box!
Juvenile kestrels look very similar to females so it is difficult to say how many are males and females!
Crikey! Last year they popped out onto the top of the nestbox and popped back in again sharpish to begin with. But still only two in the box. Hope they don't get a drenching on their first night away from home.
Just popped in quick to catch the male, I think but so quick, dropping something off to eat at 19.10.
I can't see anything resembling food at the back of the box, and the chicks aren't eating, so perhaps the parent is just a tease lol