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!
Looked like all 4 back in a moment ago - too windy to be out on a night like this!
Hi pudweena, I heard all hell breaking loose in the box a short while ago...I assume one of them came back with food. Too fast to capture but got these pics...
Something was going on in back of nest...
Then a bit of preening....
Then just three fledglings left here....
Little scruffy head keeps popping back for a rest/shelter from that awful wind. He/she looks very cute with all the twisty head movements - unfortunately I don't know how to do video capture like I've seen on other posts! I'm a long way from Arne (in East Kent) but we have the same horrible weather - no activity from my kestrel nest today
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Good morning everyone. tBofL thanks for the lovely pics. It's good to see that they seem to be OK and are coming and going from the box.
Here's who was 'home' around 9.50am
WENDYBARTTER Welcome! How wonderful to be so near to your 'very own' kestrels. It must be difficult to tear yourself away from the binoculars! Keep us posted on how they get on. (Terrible to see the starling incident, but that's the food chain for you....I love all their prey, snakes, lizards and voles mainly at Arne so it's always a bitter sweet experience:-)
Here's a little vid of the youngest having a preen....couldn't resist it as he(she) is my favorite:-))
Been looking in over the last hour or so and it seems the youngest keeps coming back in for a quick shelter. Haven't caught a glimpse of the others yet.
Avidly watching today - no parental activity yet - suspect one may have fledged yesterday onto a rung of the telegraph pole but flew off before I could use the binos. Last year they were all in and around the nest practising flying/hovering and landing for a couple of weeks or more. Can always tell the chicks 'cos they wobble a lot on the branches!! The second year I was here one fell out onto the drive of the house opposite - looked out and saw this chick and my cat sitting next to it looking puzzled. I was so concerned for the chick's safety I forgot to grab my camera - would have made a lovely pic. He/she couldn't fly properly so put it onto a roof under the nest (which is too high to reach unforunately) thought the parent could feed it there. Seemed to be ok. The following year we had another one running up and down on my bay window roof in the rain. Same procedure putting it on the roof for safety - that one made it to the telegraph pole. Good bit of equipment that!! Saw the picture of the barn(?) at Arne last year with all the chicks. Be lovely to have an outside video cam as well or is that a bit selfish? Will keep you informed
Went to look at my nest just after last post and saw chick at front of nest looking out but has gone back in now. Last year there were good views of three heads looking at the world for several days prior to fledging - so cute - just like the Arne ones. Loved your video of scruffy head - how do you do that?? Afraid not much domestics get carried out during fledging time - more important things to do!!
12.58: the male has just turned up with a vole; too quick to capture, but the youngest took it outside to eat.