AMERICAN KESTRELS ~ 2013

Catbird · **Posted:** Sat Jun 08, 2013 7:51 am

Nebraska

The chicks are starting to get their adult feathers. It looks as if there might be 3 males and 2 females.

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 61921

I watched for a few too..there were a couple trying to reach the entrance..not successful while I was watching...they are so cute..

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 61921

Catbird · **Posted:** Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:19 pm

I just checked up on all three American Kestrel nests to see how the chicks are doing. All seems well, except at the Idaho nest. Sadly the smallest of the 5 chicks in the Idaho nest died on 6/11, apparently of starvation.

Idaho

Pawnee

Nebraska

Catbird · **Posted:** Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:02 pm

Idaho

Banding is supposed to take place tomorrow morning, June 19.

Pawnee

Yesterday morning all three were still in the nest box.

But this evening, only two were left. (In checking the daily pix, I found that the first one had fledged yesterday, June 17.)

Nebraska

All fledged on or before June 16.

Catbird · **Posted:** Fri Jun 21, 2013 8:02 am

Pawnee Kestrels

All three chicks have now fledged. The last chick spent the night alone in the nest on 6/19, and it was gone before 8:00 a.m. on June 20.

Idaho Kestrels

The chicks were banded on June 19: 1 female and 3 males! The Web site has a short and sweet video of the banding (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ockrg-sI-KY), and here's a picture of two of the chicks from the video.

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 61921

Thanks catbird..I'll have to go watch...and speaking of Boise:

Catbird · **Posted:** Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:24 am

SGB - I loved the video of the Idaho chicks. They really go crazy when mom appears at the nest box opening!

Matrix · **Posted:** Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:46 am

Catbird wrote:

Pawnee Kestrels

This pic is reminescent of my intro to raptors....I was about 4 yrs old and saw a beautiful baby bird by the barn wall...Went to pick it up...and it grabbed me back with it's tiny talons....LOL!! Ouch! but I still wanted to keep it!! It was a male juvie kestrel!!!...Mom made me let it go where i found it...but I'd sneak over and watch them feed it and the others in the wall...They used to live in the barn wall where a board was missing...They (adults)came back for years! Starlings took over later...but once in a while I see one on the electric wire near the barn....
Thanks Catbird... for posting a pic that brought back those memories.... :smile:

Catbird · **Posted:** Sun Jun 23, 2013 8:18 pm

Matrix - Thanks for sharing your great kestrel memories! Unlike you, I've never seen live kestrels . . . I just fell in love with these beautiful birds the first time I saw them online.

I keep hoping that someday I'll spot a kestrel in the wild.

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 61921

Boise...waiting to be the first in line...and I waited too...trying to catch the delivery...and then I lost the cam..boo..

Catbird · **Posted:** Thu Jun 27, 2013 6:45 am

Yesterday in the early evening, all 4 chicks were in the nest vying for a prime spot at the entrance hole.

Right now, it looks as if only 3 sleepy chicks are left in the nest box. So if my eyes aren't deceiving me, one of the male kestrel chicks fledged late last night.

Catbird · **Posted:** Thu Jun 27, 2013 12:06 pm

It's a busy day at the Idaho nest! Two more kestrels fledged this morning, and just one is left in the nest box. I don't think it will be long before this last one fledges.

Catbird · **Posted:** Thu Jun 27, 2013 2:21 pm

Idaho

It turns out that one kestrel didn't fledge yesterday and that all three males fledged this morning, leaving the female chick in the nest. One of the cams is focused on a pine tree, where the three fledglings are now hanging out. However, I was only able to get a picture of one of them.

Here's the full story of today's events so far as reported on the cam site:

June 27

At 9:33am this morning, one of the three kestrel males took his first flight out of the box. Shortly afterwards, one of his brothers followed him. Finally, the female chick pushed the last of her brothers out of the box and down the side of the building. There was a brief period where all three kestrel brothers were running around on the ground, exploring. The adult female darted above them constantly, keeping watch and feeding them. Eventually, all three managed to fly upwards into a nearby pine tree.

The female chick remains in the box, but most likely not for long! The mother kestrel will continue to feed her as well, even though she has yet to fly herself.

Once kestrel chicks are out of the box, they begin to practice flying and explore their new world. Already one of the males saw a big black stink beetle and pounced on it, only to be perturbed by the nasty taste. During this time, both adult kestrels will continue to deliver food and guard the fledglings from any potential threats. There is lots of cover for them to hide in if needed, and very little human activity, so their fledging spot is a good one to start in!

Beth · **Posted:** Thu Jun 27, 2013 2:29 pm

Thanks so much for all the 2013 Am. Kestrels reports/pic/info...
A++ Catbird for the -terrific- 2013 nesting calendar-we :thanku

Catbird · **Posted:** Fri Jun 28, 2013 1:28 pm

All the Idaho chicks have now fledged. I just saw the last chick - the female - fly out of the nest box on her first flight! Unfortunately, it happened so fast that I couldn't take a picture.

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 61921

Thanks Catbird..they were so fun to watch!!!

Beth · **Posted:** Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:54 pm

Many thanks for all the wonderful photos and news for the 2013 nesting season!!

9/18...I caught someone home for a second at Nebraska :)

Catbird · **Posted:** Fri Sep 27, 2013 9:54 am

Wonderful catch, Beth! I just checked Nebraska, but no one was home.

So I decided to check the Idaho nest and found a wonderful slide show of the 2013 nesting season with some beautiful pictures of the both the adults and the kids.

Matrix · **Posted:** Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:08 am

Just a comment on kestrels....I am seeing many to and from work... Migrating I am sure, however, makes me wonder if their wintering areas are the main problem with the lower numbers.
One thing I notice is when the Cooper's hawks took up residence around here (home), there are no Kestrels.... Could be coincidence, but I never saw Cooper's around here till the mid ninties....
Just a thought.

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AMERICAN KESTRELS ~ 2013

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