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The Mill Kestrels - 2006A
pair of Kestrels
nested in a hole in the north wall of Gleaston Water Mill in late April 2006, and the
female laid five eggs. Follow the story on this page and view some video of
their progress captured by the webcam.
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| On the Mill roof | Watching the world | Just chilling | Can fly - will fly |
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| Pictures by Jason Thorpe 14th April 2006 |
Brood of 2005 Picture: David Whitton |
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The videos below are triggered by the camera as the adult
kestrel enters the nest with food. The lighting varies with the sun entering the nest site and is difficult to control, but we are continuously trying to improve the picture. The videos are avi files and can be viewed with a suitable player such as Windows Media Player, which also allows the play speed to be set to 'slow' for improved viewing. |
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early bird 1.5 Mb |
...catches
worm 1.6 Mb |
Elevenses 1.8 Mb |
What a whopper! 1.5 Mb |
Plenty for all 1.9 Mb |
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It's a knockout 1.63Mb |
In Jail ! 2.24Mb |
Soon escape 4.2Mb |
Long way down! 2.1Mb |
...on three! 3.7Mb |
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To view, click and choose 'open' or
'save' I will try to add new clips frequently so the chick growth can be seen. Last update: 11th July If you cannot play the videos with Windows Media Player you may need to install a driver. Click here to download a free DivX codec |
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Left: Well, should we jump? |
| Below: Come on, just flap your wings! | |
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| Pictures by Fred Baker |
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July 25th
Three did fly on 23rd but the fourth waited until 25th.
They were hopping as much as flying, running up the roof and in the gutters. They are now gaining confidence, enjoying heir new found freedom, and great fun to watch. the camera will remain on the nest until they stop roosting there.
July 23rd
The young are supposed to fly between 28 & 32 days from hatching, and 23rd July is 33 days!
The adults have been calling from the adjacent trees to encourage the young out, but they are still huddled in the entrance. Sunday 23rd just has to be the day for take off.
July 15th
The chicks now have all their feathers and have been peeping out of the nest, but it's a 10mtr drop!
Would you jump?
They are so big there's not much room in the nest and it's playing havoc with the camera picture. We have plans for 2007 (see bottom of page).
July 11th
Tail and wing feathers are rapidly maturing so the chicks will be up and away on their first flights within the next few days.
July 7th
Still not sure if there are 4 or 5 chicks, but they have almost doubled in size in the last few days and the nest is crowded. The female has been roosting in the entrance at night. Within 10 days they will have changed from fluffy white to adult plumage and be ready to fly.
July 3/4 (Almost a disaster)
The nest was not monitored during Monday, and in the evening we could only see 2 chicks. A quick check through the recorded video showed one being knocked out of the nest by mum's tail - Panic!
We found 3 chicks had fallen out of the nest and were lying in a huddle on the floor, about 30cm below the nest entrance on the inside of the mill, and too high for them to get back or for the adults to rescue them. They had been on their own for hours, and although alive, one was very weak. We put them back in the nest and put a barrier to prevent them falling out again. It was late, so left them in the care of the adults hoping she would feed and care for them.
Tuesday morning we put a wire grid over the rear of the hole to prevent further accidents, and counted four young. Later in the day we have a report that all five have been seen, so we a hoping these jailbirds are back on track for a full recovery.
July 2nd
The female is now regularly hunting with the male, and the chicks are feeding themselves. One chick devoured a whole mouse on its own - Kestrels or Vultures!
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