Five Fluffy Kestrel Chicks Hatch at Last | Kestrel Nest Cam

In spite of a succession of brutal raids from jackdaws, tawny owls, and even a barn owl, five of the kestrel eggs survived intact and have now hatched!
I knew something was about to happen after noticing the female, who usually shares incubation duties equally with the male, become reluctant to allow the male a turn on the eggs. Watch her hunker down on the clutch as soon as he appears.
A few hours later, I got a glimpse of the first freshly-hatched chick – its down still wet and eyes barely open. Despite the tiny bird’s obvious helplessness, the female left the nest. But she was only gone briefly to collect a vole from the male. As she returned she called softly and, remarkably, the chick was already responsive. Then, with gaping mouth, it swallowed down a few morsels. It couldn’t quite manage the vole’s foot.
The next time I caught a glimpse I noticed that the chick’s downy feathers had dried and were now fluffed up. Watch to see it trying to rest its head on an egg. It’s so sleepy its head keeps slipping off the smooth surface of the shell.
When the male came in he very looked unsure. This is this male’s first breeding season and although he now has the hang of incubating eggs, he’s not quite sure how to brood a live chick. Watch as he is all talons and ‘thumbs’ as he works out how to sit on the young chick.
The second chick hatched the following morning, followed by the third an hour later. You can really tell the difference in size between the newly hatched chick and the chick that is almost a day old. Then the fourth chick hatched and it became quite difficult to count them as they wriggled in a mass of fluff and shell. At this point, the female began to eat the eggshell. This is common amongst birds of prey and restores their nutrients, but I noticed she also ate the chicks faeces, which is not something I have ever seen kestrels do.
It’s always great to see new life, but after all this kestrel pair have been through I was especially happy – and relieved – when the final chick appeared.
For more stories from this kestrel nest head over to by blog:
https://www.robertefuller.com/diary/stories-from-a-kestrel-nest-camera-2020/

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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 a small donation here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=A52ZHAMJZC3J4

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Music Credit: Falling Snow by Asher Fulero

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Видео Five Fluffy Kestrel Chicks Hatch at Last | Kestrel Nest Cam канала Robert E Fuller