Kestrels are just now entering the egg-laying phase and females will have been spending more and more time at the nest site. She will lay an egg every two days or so until the clutch is complete, usually 4 or 5 eggs. Male Kestrels will hunt ever more frequently, not only to feed themselves, but to provide food for the female at the nest as she takes on the task of incubating the eggs for the next 30 days or so. She will generally only leave the nest now for a few minutes at a time.
Male Kestrel hovering (Colum Clarke).
A male Kestrel with prey (John Fox).
So look carefully at any Kestrels you see in the coming weeks. You will mostly be seeing males, as many females will be sitting quietly on their clutch of eggs. And if you spot a nest, keep a distance to avoid disturbing them at this sensitive time, but please, do let us know the details.
