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 everyone - I love this pic - bored kids picking & poking at each other, so funny -get some really good shots at this time every evening - long may it continue!!
Nice pics Wendy...good to see them still around. Well captured :-)
Their evening antics make me laugh out loud so much - I love the way they "beak tap" each other, love the way they waddle about quite speedily, regardless of who is in their way! o) They still have the most gorgeous faces and they definitely have their own individual characters. I do hope they will stick around for a while.x
Hi BoL and Lesley - just logged on now to catch the evening cabaret - hope we are just as lucky tonight - want some even better pics - have quite an album now! Have seen my own private kestrels couple of times today - lovely views of chick sitting on telegraph pole rung and again on tree branch against the sky - oh for a telephoto lens!!!
don't they know it's bedtime??
one has just arrived - too dark for pic
I am amazed - I was on google asking about kestrels nesting in East Kent and all my comments on this forum about my kestrels here have been reproduced - is that what they call 'mentioned in dispatches'?????
Just did that doggie - my goodness, you have taken over the world!! Didn't realise I knew anybody famous
I am further amazed after googling my name - would have to change it if I wished to remain anonymous!! ps - don't live at that address anymore and the only relation on that list is no more!
just been watching my kestrels here - chick flew in and perched on telegraph pole followed by mummy who kindly deposited food in the nest for him/her and then sat on cliff face. Chick sat on pole calling loudly and then flew off - dopey!! could have taken some wonderful pics - was looking at kestrel photos taken by Nigel somebody?? who mentioned the camera he was using - looked it up, was only £2500 to £4000 - I'll have two!!! ha ha