Kestrels Hunt for Springtime Nests in Autumn | Lessons in Bird Behaviour Learned from a Nest Camera

The kestrel chicks in my garden have now dispersed, but the adult pair are still here in the valley of Fotherdale, North Yorkshire. And I've spotted the male and female kestrel together, prospecting for new nest sites.
Although it is only September and they won’t be laying eggs until next spring, this isn’t the earliest I’ve seen kestrels looking for nesting sites. I’ve actually seen kestrels prospecting in July before.
This film shows how kestrel nest inspections are done. The male is always the first to check out a potential property, but it is the female kestrel that makes the final choice. She spends longer checking out the potential of each site and its suitability as a place to bring up her next clutch of kestrel chicks.
So far both kestrels seem very interested in a nest box I made from an old sycamore stump. This box is in my back garden, well away from the ash stump nest box they chose this year.
And given all the trouble this kestrel pair had in that ash stump box - with persistent and brutal attacks from tawny owls and jackdaws, - my bet is they will choose this box to nest in next year.
Of course, with all the surveillance cameras I’ve got here, I'll be watching to see which nest box this kestrel pair choose.

Find out more about this kestrel pair and read about the challenges they faced during this year's kestrel breeding season on my blog here: https://www.robertefuller.com/diary/stories-from-a-kestrel-nest-camera-2020/

About Me: I am a British wildlife artist based in Thixendale, North Yorkshire, UK. I build ideal habitats to encourage wildlife into my garden and use nest cams to study their behaviour. These studies inform my paintings. I share the best of my video research on this channel for free. If you would like to support my work please consider purchasing my artwork which you will find on my website: https://www.robertefuller.com. Many of the paintings are portraits of the creatures you watch here!

#kestrel #kestrelnest #kestrelchicks

Видео Kestrels Hunt for Springtime Nests in Autumn | Lessons in Bird Behaviour Learned from a Nest Camera канала Robert E Fuller