Several Kestrel nests were visited in recent days in Co. Kerry, with John Lusby, Raptor Officer with BirdWatch Ireland, ringing several broods of chicks. The first Barn Owl chicks of the year have also appeared (see below).
This young Kestrel was one of three chicks in a nest box on the Dingle Peninsula. It is about 12 to 14 days old and about half grown.
Local participation in the conservation of raptors is vital and here, Mary-Ellen proudly shows the Kestrel chick to her grandchildren. The chick came from a nest box close to her house. Mary-Ellen keeps a close eye on activities at the nest and keeps us informed of all developments.
A new Kestrel nest site was discovered recently, at a castle in Co. Kerry. The nest was on a ledge about 12 metres up (about 25 ft), and is part of an old fireplace.
The new nest site had five eggs, so we will keep a close eye on developments. This brood is a little later than most Kestrel nest sites which, by now, contain chicks.
Another visit, this time to a Kestrel nest in a Scots Pine, proved less fruitful. Despite climbing the tree in wind and rain, it proved to be empty. There is still a chance that the birds have chosen to nest elsewhere nearby as both male and female Kestrel were seen close by.
A quick check of a known Barn Owl site revealed four recently hatched chicks - the first detected by us this season. There is also one more egg, just visible lower left. If it should hatch, it would be the first brood of five chicks in Kerry so far. (All photos: M.O'Clery).
