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!
Wendy - glad to see the telegraph perch was used, lovely shot.
21:06 A bit better view of tonight's fledgling sheltering from the rain (also saw earlier in the afternoon but was too slow to capture shot).
Tiger and Chloe's Osprey Info
Hi birdsong -captured the same pic as you! but no more and it's too dark now - isn't my kestrel beautiful?
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Thanks doggie - so do you think it's adult or juv?
Doggie - that has to be a first, me asking you something you can't answer LOL!!! I have been looking back over Arne pics I captured and I must say this has the look of a young bird - it's acting juvenile and not bringing any food back to others so I'm guessing it's the one that fledged about 10 days or so ago - there is a vast gap between this & siblings still in nest - so much so that I thought this was the only one this year. I suppose they can delay egg laying if the weather is bad for food hunting? More research required. Where do I find that identify forum you mentioned?
IT'S RAINING AGAIN...............................
Surprise, surprise - 12 hours later, it's raining again and two kestrels again taking shelter
Thanks for that birdsong - I was out again at the vital time - they do like their nestbox don't they?!
Brilliant to catch up on all the updates, thanks all, no power yesterday - lovely and sunny this morning!
I'm just getting the ever circling symbol on the webcam today - can anybody else get on?
No.Seems to be off for the time being.