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!
Welcome BofL! I discovered this site around the same time as LG, and am sure you'll enjoy the antics of the 'chicks' here:)
SCYLLA and BofL thank you for your vids; I cannot seem to record or even get stills at LG, but can do stills here; my next post is a test to see if I can get a recording over to here.
Here goes......
scylla said: Hi kestrel fans :-) Now that I've finished purloining your lovely pics, here's a video from yesterday - lots of scrabbling on the box, I wonder if it's fledglings returning but not showing themselves? Am sure the residents would have been a lot more alarmed if it was foreigners :o
Hi kestrel fans :-) Now that I've finished purloining your lovely pics, here's a video from yesterday - lots of scrabbling on the box, I wonder if it's fledglings returning but not showing themselves? Am sure the residents would have been a lot more alarmed if it was foreigners :o
Brilliant captures mims, great movies scylla, hi tBoL - fingers crossed for those fledglings and hope they hang around Arne for a little while yet.
See 2 back in the box at the mo.
Now see 3!
Hi pudweena, 3 in the box I guess means 2 'experienced' fledglings and 1 waiting to jump :-)
I think I've seen your name in Bad pics of fab wildlife thread...must pop something on there sometime :-)
Still waiting for the video to upload.....yawn. PUDWEENA, have I got it right, from your post, that you've seen these birds in 'real life' at the farm? If so it must be really special:)
Finally the video is uploaded, now fingers crossed it works...one of the chicks is enjoying supper, then decides to dangle it over the edge of the box, then leaves with it. Must have fancied a 'take away'
You might find it easier, MIMS, to get a YouTube account - when you upload vids there, you just copy the URL from the address bar and paste it straight into an "ordinary" post and it embeds. If you do it in rich formatting, then you have to use the Video link that's there.
Sorry to talk techie, folks, but it's in a good cause ;-)
I just popped to the webcam but am too late to see if the last chick is all on its own so's I could have a weep ;-)
IMAGICAT
Thanks for the video MIMS. I love the way the chicks eyes follow the action :-) (or was it the food!! )