Kestrels in the Quarry 2020/21/breaking news 1st Oct 2022

New male who I've named Colin gave us a miss over Xmas & New Year's day so was very pleased to see him this afternoon, giving me a reason to start new thread in the hope there's some romance this year!

Grim & grey day here so light was bad for pics @ almost 15.00

Resolution in vid was a great improvement ... he looks almost too pretty to be a boy!!  Trademark ending though ... start as you mean to go on!

 

 2013 photos & vids here

eff37 on Flickr

  • Ooh I felt that, pesky Jackdaw, they are too close for comfort.

    Lot to learn

  • Scylla's video above from the 8th June was we believe a telling precursor to a raid during the same afternoon. We think a Jackdaw took one of the chicks.

    It has been really difficult to do a head count of the remaining chicks, but can confirm that there are indeed four still in the nest.

    They are unfortunately living cheek by jowl with the neighbors from hell! Although I have to say Jackdaws are quite fascinating animals.
  • Thank you for the unwelcome news, Peter :(  There must have been an outage for the terrible event - in fact, thinking back, I did have some very short clips (instead of 6 hours each) and I meant to tell fellow watchers that I had one 20-minute clip in which no living creature (apart from the odd insect on the wall) was seen!

    I copied the relevant "indoor" clip into OneDrive, but every time I went to email you the link to the folder it attached the actual file = 1.4GB Open mouth 

  • 10 June

    I've still got that "empty" 20-minute clip - it was from 03:58, that makes sense.

    I'm only seeing MrsK at the "cavity" (I forget what we're calling it).  Mr must be passing her the items elsewhere - is that how they usually do it?

    Front & back of adventurous eyas - this is the first time I've noticed one looking out:

    I'm not sure if this is the same one:

    Is this why were seeing less poo on the lens?

    Developing well but pushing its luck - the Jackdaw lost interest:

    Eek!  It didn't stay:

    Ahhh, there he is!  Followed in, and he gave chase:

    MrsK turned up @ 19:55 and stayed perched outside for 25 minutes, then flew off - parents must be roosting nearby.

    There were more sightings on an eyas inside the entrance but nothing more to report by 04:10 on the morning of the 11th.

  • @Carnyx FYI, the bar (outside) cam did drop out @ 17:32 but picked up again within 1 minute.

  • The sooner they fledge the better methinks.

    Lot to learn

  • Oops, I've forgotten the day but I think this was a couple of days ago: the 9th, early afternoon:

    11 June

    Breakfast was served in a blur by MrK @ 04:34 and again @ 04:45.

    MrsK arrived with food @ 05:06: 

    He took it away again!  Was it because MrsK was already in there?  She came out and looked for him (I speculate):

    Late morning: 

    12:50 - So many bird victims Cry

    Well that's strange - the barn cam went down @ 17:32 and came back up again @ 17:30.  Go figure Grin

    A video of scenes from the day until nighttime:

    NB - I can only count THREE eyases.  Sometimes their shoulder feathers can look like another head.  I stand to be corrected.

  • Awesome captures, Scylla! Thank you.
  • MrsK stayed on duty in the same place on the ledge all night.  A Jackdaw flew in and perched beside her @ 04:37, she didn't fly off until 05:21:

    And just over 2 minutes later she was back with a small bird.

    I've been returning to the inside footage again and again and have nearly gone blind... and look what I think I've found from the past few hours - I've sent the snap off to Peter, with the info that I have seen an eye on each of the 3 central birds and there's one lying under the cam.

  • Goodness me, not seen Colin since 11th May, must have been raising his babies

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr