INTERNATIONAL KESTRELS ~ 2014

Catbird · **Posted:** Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:50 am

Thanks, Daniela, for the beautiful picture of the Worcester kestrel! And thanks too to loza, Ferenz, Bosuil, and SGB for all your updates.

Hungary

It looks as if it's a real challenge for mom to feed all her chicks.

Israel - Elyakim

The cams were finally back up today. At nest 15, all four have fledged. At nest 3, two have fledged and one is left.

Priscilla · **Posted:** Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:26 am

Krestels Quartu Sant'Elena - Sardegna - Italia

another nest of kestrels in flowerpot in streaming here http://www.videolina.it/webtv/gheppi.html

Ferenz · **Posted:** Mon Jun 02, 2014 1:41 pm

Lausen, Switzerland - Susi & Strolch have five chicks

By Michaela & Storchennest.de

1st and 2nd hatch 31 may :hatchegg:

http://falken-foermchen.com/smf/index.php?topic=3930.0
http://falken-foermchen.com/smf/index.php?topic=3930.15

3rd and 4th hatch 1 june :hatchegg:

http://falken-foermchen.com/smf/index.php?topic=3933.0
http://falken-foermchen.com/smf/index.php?topic=3933.15

5th hatch 2 june --------------> :hatchegg:

http://falken-foermchen.com/smf/index.php?topic=3936.0

Feather · **Joined:** Wed May 12, 2010 2:46 pm **Posts:** 23

Hello, dear community! I'm glad to inform, that yesterday in the Brest nest we had two hatches. Today we have 3rd chick hatched!

http://birdwatch.by/files/fckeditor_fil ... d%2005.png

http://birdwatch.by/files/fckeditor_fil ... tlings.png

Catbird · **Posted:** Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:17 am

Lots of good news from yesterday and today!

I've just updated the Kestrel Nesting Calendar and the Kestrel Cam Links page to reflect your news!

Catbird · **Posted:** Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:35 am

Italy - Alta Murgia (Ginger & Fred) Lesser Kestrels

I checked in earlier to find the male incubating, which he does quite often.

And I checked in just now to see the female with what looks like 4 eggs!

Belarus - Brest

When I checked 30 minutes ago, I only got a peak at the new chicks.

But when I checked a minute ago, I was able to see all 4 chicks!

Italy - Sardegna

I just had to check out the new nest here (thanks again, Daniela). I managed to catch mom's tail and the 4 little chicks.

http://www.videolina.it/webtv/gheppi.html

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 63313

Such cute pics!!!

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 63313

Sardegna

end of a the feed...and what is that round thing behind mom?

Priscilla · **Posted:** Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:31 pm

Sardegna

Worcester
from FB

Some good news regarding the kestrels;
After a frustrating couple of weeks we now have the kestrel camera (2) back on line. The four chicks are healthy & growing fast, they all now have a personalised ID in the form of BTO leg rings! It’s taken a few days planning, half a dozen departments/organisations & sixteen of us this morning to achieve this. Wychaven ringing group had expressed an interest in ringing the kestrels & this would also give us the opportunity to correct the camera focus, as you can see all went to plan this morning. The mother returned within half an hour with food for the chicks. We should also have a video of the ringing soon with a few photos. Camera 2 is now hosted on a dedicated server, this may require some fine tuning over the next few days. We have also put a time out feature on the cameras, up to now we’ve avoided this but due to some viewers leaving the site logged on for prolonged periods this has resulted in the white screen affecting many others wishing to watch. Cameras will stay on for five minutes & will require manual refreshing for continued viewing. Leg rings will become more evident over the next couple of weeks as the chicks grow towards fledging.

Priscilla · **Posted:** Wed Jun 04, 2014 3:32 am

Worcester

from FB

Here's some video from today. The chicks can look a bit miffed but don't worry they are being expertly handled. The rings will help to identify the birds later and we'll be able to see how the local population is doing, perhaps even how the generations use different sites. These are not hi visibility rings but Kestrels are not ringed very often and they'll be easily spotted through photography or good binoculars. The notebook is for recording weight, gender and some measurements. You can see how some wing and tail feathers are developing already even after just 18 days or so. More pics tomorrow.

Feather · **Joined:** Wed May 12, 2010 2:46 pm **Posts:** 23

Today we still have 3 nestlings in the Brest nest and two unhatched eggs. Probably, one chick was not viable and was eaten by the female. Dear Catbird, could you confirm the observation of 4 chicks yesterday? Thanks!
http://birdwatch.by/files/fckeditor_fil ... %202+3.png
http://birdwatch.by/files/fckeditor_fil ... 3%2002.png

Catbird · **Posted:** Wed Jun 04, 2014 2:51 pm

Feather wrote:

Today we still have 3 nestlings in the Brest nest and two unhatched eggs. Probably, one chick was not viable and was eaten by the female. Dear Catbird, could you confirm the observation of 4 chicks yesterday? Thanks!
http://birdwatch.by/files/fckeditor_fil ... %202+3.png
http://birdwatch.by/files/fckeditor_fil ... 3%2002.png

Hi Feather. Here's my picture from yesterday where I thought I saw 4 chicks, but I might have been mistaken. What do you think: Are there 3 or 4 chicks here?

Priscilla · **Posted:** Thu Jun 05, 2014 2:55 am

Worcester

from FB

Male kestrel getting some respite from today's relentless rain...

Priscilla · **Posted:** Thu Jun 05, 2014 2:59 am

from FB Worcester

A few points about ringing for anyone unsure, and on Kathleen's point below about interference. (The link below gives some insight although a bit lengthy!) It's vital for conservation research, and unfortunately it's our more direct and serious interferences, taking many forms, which threaten the population numbers of all kinds of wildlife, not least birds. Ringing helps the research understand changes in breeding success and survival, species movements, and why those changes might be happening so conservation planning about habitats can be informed, and if needed, influenced to help recovery. It's a long term thing where data is collated over the years to identify trends and often triggers other research to explain why. The extreme possibility would be for something to go extinct without anything being done to help.
A non-bird example of science based interference designed to help are the tracking tags put on Polar Bears. Finding out about their changes in movements and habits has been really important in understanding much bigger things and not least which areas of the Arctic should be conserved to help them survive.
heres the link; http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/ri ... g-strategy
also here is something about the population changes of Kestrels and the recent decline since 2005
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdgui ... ation.aspx

Bosuil · **Joined:** Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:27 am **Posts:** 235

Catbird wrote:

Italy - Alta Murgia (Ginger & Fred) Lesser Kestrels

I checked in earlier to find the male incubating, which he does quite often.

And I checked in just now to see the female with what looks like 4 eggs!

Indeed Catbird, had never had a screenshot with something that looked like more than 2 eggs, but just now I wonder as well - 3 or 4:

On May 30 and May 31, she spent almost the whole afternoon in the nest. On May 30, she got at least one prey from M while on the nest (typical behaviour after laying an egg, but no proof). June 1, I only found cam off line.

And for that matter, unlike the Common Kestrel, the Lesser Kestrel males do participate equally in incubating, but e.g. the Matera male has very long shifts - I've noted several of 5 hours!

Catbird · **Posted:** Thu Jun 05, 2014 8:03 am

Daniela - Thanks for posting the Worcester news!

Bosuil - Yes, it is interesting how the Lesser Kestrel males spend much more time incubating than the Common Kestrel males. Also, I did check the nest again this morning, and it still looks like there are 4 eggs.

Germany - Dettingen

The chicks look as if they're about to fledge, but they're still all in the nest box.

Germany - Steinhuder Meer

It looks as if 2 have fledged and 2 remain in the nest box.

Bosuil · **Joined:** Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:27 am **Posts:** 235

Thanks for all those beautiful screenshots - a.o., of the Sardegna and Hungary nest (I love those natural nests!) - how cute!

Catbird wrote:

Bosuil - Yes, it is interesting how the Lesser Kestrel males spend much more time incubating than the Common Kestrel males. Also, I did check the nest again this morning, and it still looks like there are 4 eggs.

Alta Murgia Lesser Kestrels - Just now, the male had left the nest for a short time and while he returned, the cam shortly switched to infrared, the image turned to black and white for a second and I clearly saw 4 eggs (too short though to make a screen capture).
But in the Italian forum, I just find a screenshot from forummember Milutess:

So you can leave all 4 dates in the calendar, Catbird!

Priscilla · **Posted:** Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:50 am

Worcester

from FB

Feeding time this morning...

Priscilla · **Posted:** Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:32 am

from FB

Hungary
...in the imperial eagle nest unexpected a kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), one of our most common birds of prey, took possession.....
Mom has finally hatched her Young & looks like She has a few. I guess the eagles aint takin back this Nest.....

video here https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=873064666044106

Ferenz · **Posted:** Fri Jun 06, 2014 6:58 am

Berlin - http://berlin.nabu.de/projekte/Turmfalk ... mera/2014/

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INTERNATIONAL KESTRELS ~ 2014

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