Kestrel chicks feeding time

A longer clip from today of the female Kestrel attending to her hungry brood of five chicks. First, we see her covering the chicks to keep them warm, though this is becoming increasingly difficult as the ball of white fluffy feathers continues to grow.

The female Kestrel 'brooding' her five young (M.O'Clery, under licence from NPWS).

Then we see her suddenly attentive to something outside the box, presumably the male is calling her to come and get his latest catch. She calls to him, flies out, and quickly returns with a Pygmy Shrew. We see her feeding the eldest chick, but it immediately drops it. The female, ever attentive, picks it up and pulls it apart into more manageable portions. In this case, the eldest chick seems to get it all in three chunks, but judging by the full crops (the bulge under the throat), all of these chicks are faring very well and are certainly not going hungry.

Kestrel nest box on the Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry (M.O'Clery, under licence from NPWS). Click on the 'four arrows' symbol to see it in HD).

Finally she heads of for a brief period, possibly to hunt herself. The frequency of the female leaving the chicks alone at the nest box will increase in the coming days as they become less vulnerable, more able to regulate their own body temperature, and more hungry.

More soon.

Kestrel update - junior takes a tumble

The Kestrel chicks in a nestbox on the Dingle Peninsula are doing well, and growing fast. We're getting lots of valuable video from this nest but, for the moment, here's a quick update and a short video clip of the youngsters. 

The nest box is high in this isolated Sitka Spruce on the Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry (M.O'Clery).

The nest box (M.O'Clery).

The male Kestrel now only visits the nest to drop off the latest catch. 

The male Kestrel drops off another tasty morsel. The female has been feeding the chicks a Pied Wagtail fledgling. The male has brought another bird to the nest, though the species is unclear

The female is now out hunting occasionally, but also still spending extended periods 'brooding' the youngsters (sitting on them to keep them warm). It won't be too long before they are big enough to be left on their own at the nest, both parents then able to hunt for the voracious, ever-growing young Kestrels.

Kestrel nestlings - junior takes a tumble, Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry (M.O'Clery, under licence from NPWS).

More on this nest site soon.

The reason you don't usually see Barn Owls by day in Ireland

While searching for new Barn Owl nest sites in Co. Tipperary, one castle had been picked out as having potential. The owner had seen a 'white owl' recently, one that was "screeching it's head off" a few weeks ago. Surely a Barn Owl? It would need an evening to sit nearby, quietly watching to see what, if anything, would emerge from the castle at dusk.

At most sites, Barn Owls will wait until near dark before emerging from their carefully hidden nest sites. This evening was to be different.

Castle in Tipperary (All photos and video: M.O'Clery, under licence from NPWS).

Did an owl fly out of the castle at last light? Not quite. The 'rule of thumb' while watching for emerging Barn Owls at dusk is 'twenty minutes after sunset'. This can vary quite a bit though, so it is always a good idea to be in place to watch a potential owl site at, or before, sunset.

Yesterday, sunset was 21:25pm, but at 21:15pm a quick movement seen out of the corner of the eye saw a Barn Owl emerge from a slender chimney, on a small tower separate from the castle, and fly off quickly out of view.

However, within seconds, the local Rooks and Jackdaws which had been gathering in small, noisy flocks just before heading off to roost, spotted the owl and gathered en masse and, emboldened by sheer numbers, and daylight, chased and hounded the Barn Owl. In seconds the air around the owl was filled with about 150 crows, a posse of agitated Swallows and even an extremely brave Pied Wagtail, all chasing the unfortunate owl across the yard. The photo below captures the moment when the Barn Owl decided enough was enough, as it flew straight back to the chimney and down, safely away from the agitated mob.

Some of the assembled lynch mob follow the Barn Owl down toward the chimney, as the owl retreats to safety.

Close-up of the above photo.

And, with barely a pause, the Barn Owl descends back into the chimney and out of harms way.

Over the next twenty minutes, in the gathering darkness, everything calmed down, the crows gradually went to roost in nearby trees, the last Blackbirds and Robins stopped singing and, finally, the Barn Owl emerged once again. A quick shake, a look around, and off to hunt, without the slightest hassle from the neighbours.

The Barn Owl decides the coast is clear, the crows have gone to roost, and heads off into the night, unmolested.

Hit the 'four arrows' symbol to see the video full size.

There are reasons Irish Barn Owls aren't seen in daylight. Ireland doesn't have Short-tailed Field Voles and some other small mammals which are often active by day, and hunted by Barn Owls in daylight in Norfolk or south England. The other reason, as illustrated here, is that Ireland has an extremely high density of crows, and any Barn Owl out and about by day in Ireland will sooner or later, be mobbed by crows. Mobbing is an instinctive behaviour triggered by the presence of a predator. Hunting is impossible when hounded by a baying mob.

Have a look at the comparison below between the Irish and British populations of Jackdaws and Rooks.

The Atlas map for Jackdaw, 2007-11, showing relative abundance Bird Atlas maps.

The Atlas map for Rook, 2007-11, showing relative abundance Bird Atlas maps.

Hard for any Barn Owl to be out and about in daylight in Ireland, as this owl found.

Footage of female Kestrel brooding her chicks

The nest box mentioned in the post below now has a camera within. Here, we see the female arrive back at the nest, and quickly brood her young. She shifts about, tucking the vulnerable chicks beneath her to keep them warm.

The female Kestrel at her nest box. The four chicks are just visible in the box (M.O'Clery. Filmed under licence from NPWS).

She initially settles in what looks to be a very uncomfortable pose, sideways on, but then achieves a greater level of comfort. Kestrels are amazingly feisty parents, quickly flying to challenge any crows that enter the vicinity of the nest, and both male and female are very attentive to the chicks. The female will do all the incubating and brooding while the male provides food back at the nest, both for the chicks and the female. Later, when the chicks are a little larger, the female too will head out to hunt.

More from this nest box soon.

Video of female Kestrel brooding four chicks, Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry, 9th May 2017 (M.O'Clery. Filmed under licence from NPWS)

Please note - nest visits to protected species can only be done under special licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

First Kestrel chicks of the year

A Kestrel nest box on the Dingle Peninsula has been in place for four years now and is looking a little battered. The Kestrels have nested in three of those four years, producing three to five chicks each year. When visited today, the box was seen to have slid forward and downwards, and the 15 degree tilt led to thoughts that there was no way the Kestrels could nest, but sure enough, they had. 

Because of the tilt of the box, all the pellet debris inside had slid to the very front of the box, and the chicks were nestled just inside the entrance, a precarious enough spot.

Kestrel nest box, Dingle Peninsula, with the chicks just visible near the front of the box (M.O'Clery. Photo taken under licence to NPWS).

Four tiny Kestrel chicks, and each only a few days old. The box was gently righted, and a few running repairs were made, then the birds were left in peace after a few quick photos. Check the blog again soon as we hope to have some nice footage of these chicks in the coming days and weeks.

Four Kestrel chicks, Dingle Peninsula, 9th May 2017 (M.O'Clery. Photo taken under licence to NPWS).

Four Kestrel chicks, Dingle Peninsula (M.O'Clery. Photo taken under licence to NPWS).

Four Kestrel chicks, Dingle Peninsula (M.O'Clery. Video taken under licence to NPWS).
Hit the 'four arrows' symbol for a full-screen view.