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!
Dad back with food. That little one still needs to lose some fluff before it flies!
I can hear one of them scuttling around on the roof.
A 3rd chick just magically materialised from somewhere.
Hi everyone, just a flying visit sadly but lucky enough to catch Dad at the entrance, and see a good sized rodent (?vole) being tucked into....pics to follow. (11.15am)
www.rspb.org.uk/.../523918.aspx
The man himself....he's so handsome
MMMMmmmm
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
IMAGICAT
Just popped in a few minutes ago to see THREE chicks in the box (sleeping or chilling):
Is this the penultimate kesbabe fledge? (Scuse the glitch in the middle, caused by fast-flapping wings I suppose.)
Hi everyone, I only discovered this cam and the forum last night!! Strangely enough, a kestrel cam years ago was my first introduction to bird cams. The pictures then only updated every minute or so and that seemed pretty exciting :o That lead me to LG ospreys and my current addiction
Anyway, I managed to see a food delivery earlier(my first of what must be near to season's end) and here are some stills of the feed....
They are beautiful birds..it's a shame I've only just discovered them.
Cheers tBoL :-)
Wish I'd captured that, BADGIE, lovely stills :-)
Here's a prey delivery - they are so FAST! It's an unfortunate lizard:
And here is the last chick to fledge, all on its own, trying to amuse itself and exercise its wings. Still fluff on its head:
Lightning fast and so screechy...lizard didn't last long..seemed to go down in one :o