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!
morning all peoples - rotten weather here today, teeming rain, just spotted my kestrel chick on cliff sheltering under overhang of scrubby leaves - nice start to day - hope you have good time at Minsmere jot - take some pics to post as I've no idea what is there -will look it up on web - day off today, have to go sewing a posh cushion with a feather - how apt is that??
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
A kestrel feather I trust! ;-)
Jo T Always on the side of the feathered guy!
unfortunately not jot - just a bog-standard ostrich plume but quite effective - sure I can do kestrel feather with a little more study - hope weather not too bad for your trip!!
raining again - 3 in the box!
4! - Isn't lovely to see them all together looking beautiful and know they are all doing well :-)
sorry I missed that pudweena but thanks for letting me know they are still around - had to go to sewing again this evening - playing at quilts - not been doing any for 6 months!!!
As pudweena mentioned, yesterday there was a lovely viewing of all four fledglings back in the box! With a torrential downpour they were all back in-and I don't blame them! It was very entertaining to watch them all pecking each other like typical sqaubbling siblings! I was very pleased to see this, as I have only seen three of the fledglings until yesterday, so it is nice to know all four are doing well!
Had a great viewing the other day-the male flew into the box carrying a Bank Vole shortly followed by a fledgling making a lot of noise!
hi all - just saw my kestrel chick with vole in claws - weather terrible - rain and a south easterly blow but sunny intervals at least - not a bit like summer is it?????
just testing - don't know if I have posted this one before but now I can post pics again - yippee!!