Kestrel chicks fed a Common Lizard

Another video from our Kestrel nest box in Co, kerry. This time the lucky chick gets a Common Lizard. You need to be on the ball to get a feed at this nest!

(Filmed under licence: Michael O'Clery).

Raptor monitoring and conservation in north and east Kerry is funded through North and East Kerry Development through the Leader Programme 2007 - 2013.

Kerry Kestrel nest activity

Some interesting footage from our Kestrel nest box in Co. Kerry from the past couple of days. The chicks are beginning to look like adult birds, much of the down has now gone and wing and tail feathers are growing fast. You can see this well as the chicks stretch, waiting for their next meal.

Kestrel chicks in nest box, Co. Kerry, 25th June 2013 (filmed under licence: Michael O'Clery).

Below, another extended video of life in our Kestrel nest box, in Co. Kerry.

Kestrel chicks in our nest box in Co. Kerry (filmed under licence: Michael O'Clery).

The camera lens has been partially, ahem, 'white-washed' by one of the chicks, but there are a number of intriguing behaviours to look out for.

Early on in the video, we can see two of the chicks making quick pouncing movements with one foot. This is practicing for when they will use such a technique to immobilise or injure any prey on the ground. They will also make small pounces onto imaginary prey, again rehearsal for the real thing in just a few weeks time.

There are a couple of bouts of vigorous wing flapping, and although the wings are not yet fully grown, this will help excercise and strengthen the wing muscles.

Also look out for 'mantling' behaviour. As a food item (looks like a Pygmy Shrew) is delivered to the nest box near the end of the clip, at about 04:25, the lucky chick at the front grabs it and quickly shields it from the other chicks by cloaking it with open wings. This behaviour starts as soon as the chicks are able to feed themselves and becomes ever more pronounced as they develop, and prevents one of the siblings from stealing their meal.

Incidentally, the adults no longer enter the box, but merely deliver prey to the entrance to the first chick to grab it. Blink and you'll miss it!

You can also see one of the chicks nibbling at a stalk (or bit of feather?) but note how they can use their foot to manipulate potential food items.

Raptor monitoring and conservation in north and east Kerry is funded through North and East Kerry Development through the Leader Programme 2007 - 2013.

RTE Kestrel nest cam goes live

The RTE live Kestrel nest camera is up and running. Click HERE (opens a new window on the RTE website, then click the 'play' symbol on the lower left).

John Lusby, with Kestrel chick, Co. Kerry (M.O'Clery).

The interview on the Derek Mooney show, with John Lusby, Raptor Conservation Officer of BirdWatch Ireland, can be heard by clicking HERE (opens a new page on the RTE website). John discusses the Kestrel nest and and how the four chicks will develop in the coming weeks.

John Lusby talks about Kestrels

Kestrel (Michael Finn).

John Lusby, Raptor Officer with BirdWatch Ireland, is on the Derek Mooney Show, on RTE Radio 1 today at 3pm. The subject of today's progaramme will be Kestrels. If you miss it, you can find it on RTE Player www.rte.ie

Barn Owl pair give up on breeding this year

Male and female Barn Owl, Co. Kerry, 23rd June 2013 (M.O'Clery).

This beautiful pair of Barn Owls were caught and carefully measured and ringed at their nest site in Co. Kerry yesterday. The site has been known about for four years and they nested successfully there in the first two, but failed to breed last year. Despite a careful inspection of the nesting area yesterday (under licence), no eggs or chicks were found and as the pair were roosting together in the same small area, it seems they have given up trying to breed this year. Perhaps because of the cold spring, there simply wasn't enough food to bring the female into breeding condition.

Another interesting aspect of this site is that a total of four adults have been trapped here in four years, but never the same individual twice. This shows that at some sites at least, there would appear to be a relatively high turnover of birds.

Raptor monitoring and conservation in north and east Kerry is funded through North and East Kerry Development through the Leader Programme 2007 - 2013.

Late year for Long-eared Owls

Adult Long-eared Owl (Adrian Rooney).

With the cold spring, Long-eared Owls are breeding exceptionally late this year. There were calling chicks at one site near Newmarket, Co. Cork, by 14th March 2012, and more chicks quickly followed at other sites. However, despite careful checking over the past few weeks, only one nest of Long-eared Owl chicks has been heard so far. Hopefully they will start appearing at the nest sites soon.

Raptor monitoring and conservation in Duhallow is funded by IRD Duhallow through the Leader Programme 2007 - 2013.

Co. Kerry Kestrel nest camera

Female Kestrel feeds a Bank Vole to her five chicks (John Lusby).




In this fantastic nest camera footage we see a female Kestrel feed a Bank Vole to her five young chicks. The nest box is in Co. Kerry, and the chicks are probably between 6 and 12 days old. Shortly before, the female had arrived at the nest and the male arrived shortly after and presented her with the catch before he flew off. After a cautionary pause, sitting a short distance away, she flew to the nest box with her prey. Watch as she feeds it to her hungry brood.




Filmed under licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Raptor monitoring and conservation in north and east Kerry is funded through North and East Kerry Development through the Leader Programme 2007 - 2013.