Jackdaw - one of the commonest crows in Ireland, nesting on and in buildings, and often sharing nest sites with Kestrels (all photos: M.O'Clery).
Jackdaws are an intelligent and social species and often nest in the same old buildings as Kestrels though they have a very uneasy relationship. At this old church tower in Co. Kerry, the pair of Kestrels share their nest site with numerous Jackdaws, and both adult Kestrels were seen to be hunting nearby and delivering prey to the well-grown chicks.
The old church tower in Co. Kerry with many nesting Jackdaws throughout and nesting Kestrel on the top right of the tower (M.O'Clery).
One of the adult Kestrels will always remain at the nest until the chicks are old enough to defend themselves. The defense mechanism of young Kestrels left alone at the nest is to back as far into the nest as possible, screech loudly, and swipe at any intruder (or ringers hand) with their sharp talons with a sharp downward slashing motion. For a ringer, the experience can be like putting your hand into a bag of sharp knives, but it is obviously a sufficient deterrent to the ever-present Jackdaws, who would happily eat a young chick if they felt they could survive the experience unscathed.
As the adult Kestrels were watched delivering prey, Bank Voles were certainly on the menu. If you look at the photo below in detail (you can click on any of the images for a larger view), you can just make out the Vole in the female Kestrels' talons.
Female Kestrel, carrying a Bank Vole back to the nest.
Shortly after this prey delivery, a Jackdaw appeared on the tower with a Bank Vole in it's beak. Did it manage to brave the ferocious young raptors and steal it? While it may not be able to grab one of the chicks for a meal, it might well have been able to grab the chick's meal instead.
Jackdaw with a Bank Vole. Did it manage to catch it itself, or steal it from the Kestrel nest?
