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!
Lol Wendy! My hubby keeps looking at a lense which is £8000! Like you say - we'll have two! Might actually be able to get down to Arne in a couple of weeks, been given some endurance exercises from physio so might be able to walk further than 100m soon! Yay! Hope the young ones are still hanging around.
Jo T Always on the side of the feathered guy!
Hi JoT - good news about your possible visit to Arne - I was told today about Ospreys at Arlington Reservoir in Sussex - that's accessible for me, probably be a good day out if decent weather. Keep on doing the exercises, I'm sure you'll get there - no kind of fun though is it? Had to laugh about the camera prices - either that, or cry!! Saw my kestrels today - only one chick this year and one parent too, apparently the other one died in my neighbours garden but he didn't tell me for two weeks (he's not an enthusiast). The weather was really against them - first time in about 10 years there were not 4 fledglings from that nest. Was quite surprised to read that kestrels are not all that long-lived. Still have much to learn. Was too late to log on for bedtime at Arne tonight but no postings as to whether they came into box - hope it's not all over yet!! goodnight
Still faithful to Arne - remembered to log on tonight before it was quite dark - one in the nest!
Thanks Wendy, pleased to hear at least one still around. Just turned on but of course too late as pitch dark.
Just before dark, 9.50pm, certainly heard one very near the box.
I checked tonight hoping for one last look at an adorable kestrel fledgling and heard one calling very loudly at 9.51pm so hung on in case. At 9.58pm it was almost totally dark when one came into the box and I captured this!
Not exactly star quality but great to see something and hear it having a good scratch and root around!
Tiger and Chloe's Osprey Info
was too late tonight pudweena - been out sewing - saw my kestrel chick in nest hole this morning waiting for mum to bring food - and she did - lovely sight! Hope you are well - do you watch any other birds??
they certainly like making a noise don't they birdsong!
Hello WB - I saw you on LG site and realised you were also watching the Arne kestrels. When all four were in the box, they often made me laugh out loud when all four heads were following something outside the box. Having been away for 2 weeks I thought I wouldn't see any of them again so it was good to almost see one tonight - couldn't miss hearing it! You're lucky to have your own kestrel chick to watch.
Brilliant capture birdsong - lovely to see, wasn't long after I'd looked in.
Hope to get to Arne at the weekend. Just not able to spend so much time on computer recently, do hope to get back to normal before too long, not even been on the main forum for weeks, must have missed so much. No Wendy, just been watching the Kestrel chicks this year - nice hearing about yours.