A look inside the last Kestrel nest

It has been an exceptionally late season for many species and that has definitely been the case with Kestrels. The young from the latest of the all the sites that we monitored this breeding season fledged from their nest in County Limerick yesterday.....which is over a month behind the norm. This is a site that we have been monitoring for seven years now, so it was great to see two healthy chicks fledge....eventually.

So there will be no more encounters with little fluffy balls of attitude (with very sharp talons!) until next breeding season. However, as we knew this site in Limerick was going to be the last Kestrel nest of the year we took a little time to capture some footage of the chicks before they fledged, using specialised nest cameras (under licence from NPWS).

If I can't see you, you can't see me - one of the chicks tries to conceal itself during the first nest inspection (Photo: John Lusby & Dario Fernandez-Bellon)

In the first clip below we see the male bringing a Bank Vole to the nest, which is promptly snatched from him by the female, as she is the one who tears up the prey and feeds the chicks until they are big enough to do this for themselves.

In the next clip it looks to be a Greater White-toothed Shrew which is delivered to the nest, this is an introduced species which was only discovered in 2008, and this is the first time we have recorded the shrew in this particular area of Limerick, which is a fascinating discovery.

In the third clip it is a Bank Vole which is once again delivered to the nest. Bank Voles are also an introduced small mammal and are very abundant in the diet of certain raptors in the south-west, but still completely absent from other parts of the country, and we are currently researching the effects that the introduction of both of these species are having on birds of prey such as Kestrels.

More clips of these birds at a later stage of development to follow soon......

Footage by John Lusby & Dario Fernandez-Bellon (under licence from NPWS)

BirdWatch Ireland condemns councillor’s call for an “open season” on Hen Harriers

BirdWatch Ireland condemns in the strongest terms the recent highly irresponsible comments made by Limerick County Council Cathaoirleach John Sheahan urging the removal of protection for Hen Harriers, as reported in the Limerick Leader recently.  Cllr. Sheahan reportedly called for an "open season" on the Hen Harrier, one of Ireland's most threatened birds of prey, unless changes are made to the designation of Special Protection Areas (SPA's).

Hen Harrier (Photo: Shay Connolly).

"Cllr. Sheahan appears to have bought into the fallacy that nature is the enemy of progress, and that environmental laws stand in the way of profits", said Niall Hatch, BirdWatch Ireland's Development Officer. "Judging by his misunderstanding of the theories proposed by Charles Darwin and the processes by which evolution works, he also seems to hold the patently untrue belief that our flora and fauna bounce back, regardless of what we do to them. The extinction of thousands of species around the world, including many here in Ireland, as a direct result of human activities sadly reveals his views to be nonsense."

You can read the original article from the Limerick Leader on the 20th of July, as well as BirdWatch Ireland's statement in reaction to these comments HERE.

Barn Owl chick, or fluffy toy?

Barn Owl chick, Co. Kerry, 24th July 2013 (M.O'Clery).

If cuteness was an Olympic sport, this Barn Owl chick would win gold...

Barn Owl chick, Co. Kerry, 24th July 2013 (Filmed under licence: M.O'Clery).

This chick is about 20 days old, just old enough to regulate its own body temperature. The nest was in an old cottage in east Kerry, and is one of the few broods of three we have seen so far this summer.

Duhallow Barn Owl chicks

Birds of prey in general are suffering a poor breeding season. We saw in an earlier post how Long-eared Owls suffered an almost complete collapse of breeding attempts with only five chicks produced from 61 sites nationwide. Kestrels failed to breed at many sites, though the ones which did breed fared well.

Barn Owls nest later in the year so we are only now beginning to see how their season is developing and unfortunately, it is not good. Quite a few sites checked so far have been abandoned, and adults are not breeding at others. Nests with chicks are proving the exception this year.

At least here we have a bit of good news – two healthy looking chicks in one of our nest boxes yesterday while checking our Duhallow sites. They are about three weeks old, and none of the flight feathers are yet visible. They should be at the nest for another month and a half, so will be fledging in late August or early September. Working backwards, if they are 21 days old, they must have hatched around the last day of June, which means the eggs were laid around the last days of May, about 4 weeks later than the average date of around 7th May.

Two Barn Owl chicks at a nest box in Duhallow, 19th July 2013 (Filmed under licence: M.O'Clery).

Barn Owl Surveying

This video shows an examination of a known Barn Owl site in Co. Kerry. There have been signs of the birds presence in this old farmhouse each year since the site was discovered in 2008, but the owls have not yet bred here. Two nest boxes have been placed inside the house, the site is very isolated and rarely visited, and there is ideal hunting habitat nearby, so it is absolutely perfect for Barn Owls.

Every known site in Duhallow and Kerry is checked by us at least once each season. It can take a number of years for a site to be occupied, in some case four years or more, and at others, seemingly suitable sites have never been occupied, but in one notable case, Barn Owls occupied and nested in an Owl nest box within just a few weeks of its installation.

Let's have a look and see what is going on inside...

How long does a Barn Owl live?

Two year old female Barn Owl, Co. Kerry, 24th July 2013 (M.O'Clery).

Barn Owls are generally short lived birds, and since ringing of Barn Owls began in Ireland in 2008 only a handful of birds ever caught and ringed have been three or more years old. This is a two year old, a female, which was trapped at the same site as last year, an old mansion in Kerry in July 2012 (you can see an account of that on the DUHALLOW BLOG, HERE)

Barn Owls which are kept in captivity regularly live to be 15 or even 20 years old, but they obviously don't face the same hazards as a bird in the wild. In Ireland, at least half of all birds which fledge from the nest will not make it to their first birthday, and it is rare indeed to find a five year old bird. There are a number of sites which we know have been occupied by Barn Owls for 20 or more years, but this does not mean it is the same individual owls in residence, rather there has been a whole series of recruitments over the years.

Duhallow Barn Owl chicks in nest box

Birds of prey in general are suffering one of their worst breeding years yet. We saw in an earlier post how Long-eared Owls suffered an almost complete collapse of breeding attempts with only five chicks produced from 61 sites nationwide. Reports are that Peregrine falcons too have suffered breeding failure with for example only one nest of a sample 19 producing young in Kerry/Cork (and the chicks were robbed from that one). Kestrels failed to breed at most sites, though the ones which did breed fared well.

Barn Owls nest later in the year so we are only now beginning to see how their season is developing and unfortunately, it is not good. Quite a few sites checked so far have been abandoned, and adults are not breeding at others. Nests with chicks are proving the exception this year.

At least here we have a bit of good news – two healthy looking chicks in one of our nest boxes in Duhallow, NW Cork. They are about three weeks old, and none of the flight feathers are yet visible. They should be at the nest for another month and a half, so will be fledging in late August or early September. Working backwards, if they are 21 days old, they must have hatched around the last day of June, which means the eggs were laid around the last days of May, about 4 weeks later than the average date of around 7th May.

Two Barn Owl chicks at a nest box in Duhallow, 19th July 2013 (Filmed under licence: M.O'Clery).

Barn Owls out, Kestrels in

Ongoing Barn Owl surveys this summer are finding that many nests around the country have either been abandoned or the adults are present but have not bred. Some sites where the adults failed to breed (including one or two nest boxes), were taken over by Jackdaws, but at this site in Co. Kerry, the nest in a chimney, used by Barn Owls in each of the last four years, was taken over by Kestrels.

Recently fledged Kestrel on chimney nest (Davey Farrar).

The young Kestrel peers down into the chimney (Davey Farrar).

The chimney shaft is blocked by an old Jackdaw stick nest, and Barn Owls previously nested about five feet down. Barn Owls would normally see off any Kestrel in the battle for a potential nest site, so it might be that the owls abandoned the site and the Kestrels simply moved in, rather than the Kestrels took it over.

62 Long-eared Owl sites, but only 5 chicks

As surveying for Long-eared Owls winds down for this season, the results are stark. There has been a widespread breeding failure this year with only two chicks fledging from a single nest, from 14 known nest sites.

There are still a few more sites to be visited, but to date, the breakdown is as follows:

Duhallow (NW Cork & E Kerry) 14 sites, 2 chicks at 1 site.
Co. Clare 1 site, no chicks.
Connemara 2 sites, no chicks (though 3 eggs were laid in 1).
Co. Dublin 4 sites, 1 chick.
Co. Galway 5 sites, no chicks.
Co. Kerry (outside Duhallow) 5 sites, 1 chick.
Co. Mayo 2 sites, no chicks.
West Offaly 19 sites, 1 chick.

TOTAL 62 sites, with only 5 chicks at 4 sites.

Empty Long-eared Owl nest.

A perfect breeding site (an old Hooded Crow nest), high in a conifer, in perfect habitat, where a pair of Long-eared Owls had been displaying and holding territory all spring, only for the birds to eventually fall silent and cease their breeding attempt, a pattern repeated at many sites all over the country (Photo: M.O'Clery).

The cause for the widespread failures are largely unknown, though it may be that the unusually cold spring was a major factor.

Rare grassland draws raptors

This grassland site (below) is in Co. Kerry, and the large fields, normally given over to grazing and silage, were bought by a wealthy landowner who has (for reasons unknown) not cut or grazed the grass in about 5 years. The result is a truly enormous area of habitat, perhaps 1.2km by 800m, unaffected by grazing, fertilizers, pesticides or mowing and it has become a wildlife paradise as a result.

Grassland, Co. Kerry (11th July 2013 (M.O'Clery).

Kestrels hunt regularly over the site by day, and during recent owl survey work, this area was checked and on both occasions, both Long-eared Owl and Barn Owl could be watched hunting over the grassland at dusk. One of the few places and occasions in Ireland where it is possible to see both species simultaneously.

A bird of prey's quarry

This quarry in Co. Kerry has a lot of heavy machinery, noise, dust, and occasional explosions as limestone is quarried for building material, yet, amidst the noise and dust, two species of raptor are present.

The enormous excavation in a quarry in Co. Kerry, July 2013 (M.O'Clery).

Kestrels are nesting in a large cavity in the quarry face in one of the quieter corners, while Peregrine Falcons are seen every day in and around the artificial cliffs. The quarry owner is very keen on wildlife and is looking to provide a nesting ledge on the otherwise vertical cliff faces, for the Peregines to nest. 

The owners were also able to provide some heavy machinery to allow us to inspect the Kestrel nest which otherwise would have been very difficult to access. 

A bit of a lift - much easier than abseiling, or lugging 40ft ladders around! (M.O'Clery).

One of the Kestrel chicks which were in the nest at the quarry (M.O'Clery).

There were three eggs laid in the Kestrel's nest at this site in late May, and two chicks were present during our visit today, both close to fledging. Peregrines haven't nested in the quarry in several years, but with the owners help, and the provision of a suitable nesting ledge, it is hoped they will do so in the next year or so.

Peregrine Falcon (Brendan Shiels).

Peregrine versus Barn Owl

Peregrine Falcons have been doing well in Ireland over the past decade, following a crash in the population in the 70s due to pesticide poisoning. Their recovery has been complete thankfully and they are now spreading into areas where they have not been known to breed before, particularly at inland sites. They need a cliff ledge on which to nest and quarries, church steeples, castles and other large structures have all been used in areas where no natural cliffs exist.

As part of the Duhallow Raptor Conservation Project, a traditional site for Barn Owls was checked for signs of the birds presence. The castle site in Duhallow has long had Barn Owls present, but a search of the area yesterday also revealed the presence of a Peregrine Falcon. Although no bird was seen, the feathers and pellets were found under a roost site on the outer castle walls.

Moulted feathers and 'whitewash' below the castle walls (M.O'Clery).

Two Peregrine pellets,  containing the remains of birds' bones (bird bones are usually hollow) and feathers, very different from the larger, slightly glossy black pellets of Barn Owls which usually contain the fur and bones of small mammals (M.O'Clery).

Peregrine feathers and pellets, Duhallow (M. O'Clery).

(click on any of the images for a closer look)

Although Peregrines and Barn Owls can share the same site, the arrangement seems to be an uneasy one, and we know of cases in Ireland of Barn Owls disappearing from traditional sites shortly after the Peregrines moved in. Peregrines are a powerful and aggressive species and have little tolerance for other birds of prey near their nest site. In the Barn Owl's favour is the fact that they fly and hunt at night when any Peregrine at the site is tucked away at its roost.

Struggling to find successful LEO nests

This is what were looking for......a close up of a Long-eared Owl chick (Dario Fernandez-Bellon)

Over the past couple of weeks we have visited 35 Long-eared Owl sites, mainly across Galway, Kerry, north Cork and West Offaly, where we have either recorded territorial adults earlier this season or confirmed successful nesting last year. So far we have only heard young at two of these sites, both of which were single chicks.

Ringing two Long-eared chicks at a successful nest in west Offaly in 2012 (John Lusby)

Long-eared's can change nest sites within their territory from one year to the next, and as well as this it has been a late season so calling young might still appear at some of these sites. However in general it seems to be quite a poor breeding year.

Below are some clips of Long-eared Owl nest visits and ringing from last year. Detailed survey work and subsequent monitoring of pairs from early spring is starting to provide new insights on the nesting ecology of this elusive owl. Last years findings were very positive in terms of densities and breeding success, but its a different story so far this year. 

Visiting a nest and ringing young at a site in Duhallow, north Cork in 2012 (Michael O'Clery)

The chicks can be quite surreal looking....and at times more resemble a fluffy toy as opposed to a real bird, and one which will develop into a skilled predator at that!

Long-eared Owl chick ringed at site in Galway in 2012....yes he's winking at you! (John Lusby) 

We will be continuing survey and monitoring until the end of August, so will hopefully pick up more successful sites in the coming weeks. The calls of Long-eared Owl young are not too easy to miss (listen here), if you hear any then please let us know!

Young Kestrels

Kestrels chicks, Co. Laois (Photo: Richard Duff, with thanks to James Campion).

Two beautiful portraits of young Kestrels on the verge of fledging, at Campion's farm in Co. Laois. The nest is inside a hay barn, in an old Jackdaw's nest.

Bog snorkelling for Merlin

They can be soul destroying but also very addictive. Merlin are renowned as one of the more difficult of our birds of prey to survey and locate. This is most definitely the case when you find yourself spending long days in the bog, in a wetsuit, and using various combinations of ropes, ladders, canoes, and nest inspection devices just to get to their nest sites....let alone the efforts necessary to find the nests in the first place!

Surveying for Merlin in Connemara... strange stares from on-lookers guaranteed. (Dario-Fernandez-Bellon) 

Connemara is thought to be one of the strongholds for Merlin in Ireland, and one of their favourite nesting sites is small, densely vegetated islands on the many lakes scattered across the vast areas of bog. The Raptor Conservation Project and NPWS have focused Merlin research and monitoring in this area for the past three breeding seasons and this year substantial efforts have been undertaken to visit all traditional island nest sites as well as a large sample of potentially suitable islands. See the video clip below which shows typical Merlin survey work in Connemara, checking for plucking perches, taking a dip in the lake and eventually uncovering an active nest.

Typical Merlin survey work in Connemara. Filmed under licence from NPWS (John Lusby & Dario Fernandez-Bellon).

 Dermot Breen (NPWS) in particular has put in huge effort in checking suitable islands which has resulted in pinning down four pairs so far this season. One of these pairs has already fledged four chicks, one is still on eggs and at the other two sites we have ringed broods of three and four young, so quite positive news from the pairs that we have been monitoring so far.

Merlin nest with three young on an island in the Connemara Bog Complex SPA. Photographed under licence from NPWS (John Lusby).

Merlin nest with clutch of five eggs in Connemara. Photographed under licence from NPWS (John Lusby).

There is very little known about Merlin in Ireland, so this work, even though it is quite time consuming and labour intensive is providing essential insights on their status and ecology. We will be checking other traditional and suitable sites over the next two weeks and will post further updates on progress.

No squeaking in the night

We have been monitoring activity at known Long-eared Owl sites throughout Connemara and other areas of Galway since last March, using playback survey techniques to locate territorial pairs in the early part of the season (under licence from NPWS). In normal years the characteristic "squeaky gate" calls of young Long-eared's can be heard from May onwards (click here to listen to Long-eared Owl young calling), but this year breeding has been exceptionally late, and it is looking like many pairs have failed to breed altogether.

The photo below shows a Long-eared Owl nest basket which we installed at a site near Spiddal, County Galway alongside Aonghus O'Donaill (NPWS) in 2011. When we checked the basket three weeks ago it was fantastic to see that it was in use with a clutch of three eggs. This is only the second Long-eared Owl basket in the country to have been taken up, both of which are in Connemara. Unfortunately recent visits to the site to watch and listen for adults and hoping to hear the high pitched calls of the young have confirmed that the female has abandoned the nest. 

Long-eared Owl nest basket near Spiddal, Galway. Photographed under licence (Dario Fernandez-Bellon).

The same situation seems to have happened at at least seven other sites we are monitoring. At this stage it is looking like a particularly bad year for Long-eared Owls, which is probably partly due to the cold and wet spring, but we will be making nocturnal visits to our other traditional sites over the next two weeks, which should shed more light on how they are faring this breeding season.....here's hoping for plenty of squeaking!

The first active Long-eared Owl basket in Connemara in 2012, which unfortunately also failed to hatch. Photographed under licence (John Lusby).

Birds on the menu for young Kestrels

Kestrel chicks, Co. Kerry (Filmed under licence: Michael O'Clery).

Two of the four Kestrel chicks in the Co. Kerry nestbox are just about fledged and have already left the nest box, though are hanging around outside. They are all still being fed by the parents at the nest box and in this clip we can see several food items being despatched by the two hungry youngsters still inside. First, one goes back to a small bird which is cached at the back of the box (probably either a young Grasshopper Warbler or a Meadow Pipit).

Soon after, one of the adults arrives with a 'prepared lunch', another, larger bird which has already been substantially plucked. Any guess as to which species this might be? Notice the chicks eat pretty much everything of the bird - head, feathers, legs and all.

Finally, just as the battery runs out on our camera, another prey delivery arrives to be snatched by one of the chicks, but from the size and colour, it looks to be a Bank Vole.

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