Last summer, following a kind invitation from the
landowner, we were able to access a new
Kestrel site in Bubwith. The owner made contact after a single chick had fallen from the box, on
inspection the box was found to be rotten, with holes appearing, as well as
being full to bursting with old nesting material, pellets and general
detritus following many years of use – however six large and almost fledged
young were somehow squeezed in – pictured below.
Earlier this spring prior to
the breeding season, and as promised last year, we arrived with a replacement
box with the other one unlikely to be fit for another season. We took down the
existing box and replaced it with a slightly bigger and ‘roomier’ one. We also
transferred a little bit of the old nesting material out of the original box
into the new one to make the Kestrels feel more at home straight away. Other
than initially having to fend off a pair of interested Jackdaws, everything
worked out brilliantly for the pair of Kestrels, with them soon making
themselves at home. On our visit recently we arrived to find a healthy brood
of four tucked away in the back of the box - and in no danger of falling out - a
brilliant result and many thanks again to the owners for keeping a close eye on
this pair.
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