INTERNATIONAL KESTRELS ~ 2014

loza · **Posted:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:46 pm

Catbird

Wloclawek Poland

There's no place like home :girlluv:

loza · **Posted:** Wed Jun 18, 2014 4:29 am

Wloclawek Poland

Early morning

4.45 2 in nest . Pusio control on the landing and departure :egg19:

5.02 2 on the landing. Pusio without food, departure :egg15:

5.38 Pusio with breakfast . Fight for food :egg16:

loza · **Posted:** Wed Jun 18, 2014 4:47 am

Kwidzyn Poland

18/6 6.07 Morning in nest .Small no longer are such a small

:egg17:

loza · **Posted:** Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:51 am

Worcester UK :egg17:

18/6 3.46

4.42

4.45 empty

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

Bad (10 days old) news from the Yizreel Valley Common Kestrels that breed in the Barn Owl box:

On June 7, a lone male Barn Owl entered the nestbox and killed and ate a chick - the female kestrel tried in vain to defend her offspring. The chicks were 20 days old at the time. Read all about it here.

The Matera Lesser Kestrels are getting close to hatching time. We donot know exactly when real incubation started, but from my notes it seems May 25 they were already serious. May 26 isn't clear (cam off line). Earliest hatch date could then be June 22. Note that in the past few days, this male sometimes left the nest before the female arrived and the eggs were uncovered for 40 min. (Sunday) to 50-60 min. (Tuesday). This happened most probably when his first shift got rather long - (early morning till 11 or 11:30 AM). We can't be dead sure about that - this cam doesn't come on line that early.

The Alta Murgia Lesser Kestrels are 5 days behind the Matera pair and seem to be "sync'd" well in taking over incubation shifts.

Catbird · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:59 am

Bosuil - Thanks for all your kestrel updates. It was sad to hear about the Yizreel Valley nest where the Barn Owl killed one of the 3 chicks, but it was good to hear that the nest box entrance was made smaller to prevent that from happening again.

In other news . . .

England - Aston: Per the site, all 5 chicks have fledged.

Hungary - Imperial Eagle Nest:

Everything was fine here when I checked the nest on 6/17. But when I checked just now, all the kestrel chicks had disappeared. I'm wondering if the nest came under attack by an intruder.

Netherlands - Beleef de Lente: All 6 chicks still in the nest, but they are starting to move up to the ledge. It won't be long now before the first fledge.

Yesterday:

Today:

Priscilla · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2014 8:26 am

Catbird wrote:

Bosuil - Thanks for all your kestrel updates. It was sad to hear about the Yizreel Valley nest where the Barn Owl killed one of the 3 chicks, but it was good to hear that the nest box entrance was made smaller to prevent that from happening again.

In other news . . .

Hungary - Imperial Eagle Nest:

Everything was fine here when I checked the nest on 6/17. But when I checked just now, all the kestrel chicks had disappeared. I'm wondering if the nest came under attack by an intruder.

from FB

Marten took the kestrel chicks imperial eagle nest. 06/19/2014.

video http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/48943563 but I have not been able to look at

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

Priscilla wrote:

from FB

Marten took the kestrel chicks imperial eagle nest. 06/19/2014.

video http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/48943563 but I have not been able to look at

Hmmm ... not nice to watch, esp. since they are so vulnerable and the female kestrel can't manage to defend them ...

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

Very sad to read about the Hungary nest. I don't think I'll watch the vid...

Catbird · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 7:08 am

skygirlblue wrote:

Very sad to read about the Hungary nest. I don't think I'll watch the vid...

I can't bring myself to watch the video either. But thanks, Daniela, for letting us know what really happened here. It's so sad!

Catbird · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 7:12 am

Netherlands - Beleef de Lente

This morning, 3 of the chicks fledged and 3 remain in the nest box.

Here's a picture from the Web site showing one of the cute fledglings that landed in a courtyard. Fortunately, it was able to get out by itself and fly up to a roof.

Germany - Berlin

The chicks are too big to hide away in the corners of the nest box now. They should start fledging in another week or so.

Italy - Sardegna

It looks like the chicks are quickly outgrowing their nest on the ledge.

Priscilla · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 3:04 pm

Catbird · **Posted:** Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:59 am

This might be a first: All 6 chicks at the Beleef de Lente nest in the Netherlands fledged on the same day. It all happened yesterday on 6/20.

I updated the Kestrel Nesting Calendar with the Beleef de Lente information and added new dates for the successful fledges at both the Elyakim nests in Israel that Bosuil kindly supplied.

Catbird · **Posted:** Sat Jun 21, 2014 10:54 am

I just updated the Kestrel Nesting Calendar again thanks to new input from Bosuil. Here are the correct dates that the chicks fledged from the Beleef de Lente nest:

# 1 was evening of June 19
# 2 3 morning of June 20
# 4 5 evening of June 20
# 6 morning of June 21 - today

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

Matera Lesser Kestrel male once again left the eggs before the female returned - eggs were uncovered why he was away for 45 min. - strange - so close to hatching ...