General Discussion : 2015 Bosch KestrelCams discussion

Good morning everyone!  This topic has been created for you to discuss events you see on the Bosch KestrelCams. Please ask questions, post observations and share knowledge about what our kestrels do during this 2015 nesting season.

If you prefer to see postings displayed with the most recent at the top, go to http://hub.peregrinefund.org/akp-2015-cams-discussion

Comments:

nc's picture

Love this cam! This will be the third year that I have been watching. The kestrels are so cute!

 

LilCShell's picture

Hi nc. Looks like the male is searching for the female to deliver the little rodent. This is my third year watching,too.

Minot's picture

The Report what you see! section on the webcam page doesn't always fit the action.  Just now, the female was incubating the eggs, the male was not it sight.  Then one of them was calling (I can't always see who's doing it) and in a little while the male arrived on top of the box with a rodent.  He sat there for a while, then flew off, taking the rodent with him.  A little later, he came back with the rodent, the female flew up to the cavity, sat there a bit, then she flew off and the male followed her, carrying the rodent.  A few minutes later he flew on top of the box, sans rodent; sat for a minute and then flew off.... And now he's back on top of the box, calling sporadically.  I assume the female is off somewhere munching on her mousie.

Delorahilleary's picture

Thanks for the observation!  It is fine to put detailed behaviors you see here in the discussion thread.

cb0324's picture

I agree with that. I have been watching the cam since a few years and I always had a reiccuring problem describing in the report what has been going on. I think that the menu needs some work.

Delorahilleary's picture

If you have any suggestions for additions to the 'submit a report' tool, let us know! We are happy to hear them. In the meantime, you are welcome to use this discussion thread to describe the observations that you have trouble fitting into our current categories smiley

cb0324's picture

I will try to make a listsmiley

It's not just adding, but also removing, for example once all eggs hatch, remove everything related to it. This way the list does not get too long .

Owluver's picture

Agree.  Hopefully this isn't too insulting, but the comments/observation menu is quite juvenile, like for small children. 

Administrator - The Peregrine Fund's picture

If any of you are wondering about the source of the loud mechanical sounds, they are coming from this air conditioning unit a few feet behind the nest box.

Minot's picture

Thanks for the explanation of the sound, and for the wider view of the box's location.

Minot's picture

Another episode similar to what I reported yesterday: female incubating eggs, male (I'm pretty sure) off camera but heard calling; he arrives at door of box with food I couldn't identify; she comes to door and tries to take food from him, he resists, she pushes around him and flies off; he follows, carrying food.  After about 10 minutes, the male returns, perches in the cavity for a minute, then enters box and incubates eggs.  

Minot's picture

About 30 seconds after I sent the message above, the male got off the eggs, perched in the door for a minute or two, and flew off.

Minot's picture

I just saw the male kestrel catch and eat a fly(?) in the box.

Bill Dove's picture

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nc's picture

There's a large fly or some sort of insect in the nest box. It's large enough to be a snack for one of the kestrels! None of the kestrels, except the eggs, are home at the moment (8:50 AM PDT). 

Minot's picture

Again, after calling sporadically (off camera) for several minutes, the male flew into the box with a rodent, which he then refused to give up to the female, and within a minute or two flew away with the rodent.

The female eventually left the box, but this time it took her about 4-5 minutes to do so.  

I'm wondering if this is "courtship" behavior.  I haven't seen them mate in the box.  Might the lure of food be the male's way of getting her to come out to some more congenial spot?

Bill Dove's picture

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madeline's picture

as others mentioned, similar behavior today as on 9th, just before she laid 2nd egg:  female very restless moving about lots, presentation of meal by male, female disappears, returns and lays an egg.

Jill from MN's picture

Love those kestrels.

The male and female are very quietly sitting together in the box - it almost looks like he's sitting on her head at 5:45 Boise time today.  Has anyone ever seen anything like this before?

 

nc's picture

3 eggs! smiley

Bill Dove's picture

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madeline's picture

we can see the weather in Boise firsthand on the cam--Sat it was blowing and raining and cold!

 

Bill Dove's picture

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Delorahilleary's picture

This is true, but here is easy access to our weather at the airport, which is quite close by!

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=boise+ID

Bill Dove's picture

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Bill Dove's picture

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Delorahilleary's picture

Indeed, the Nestbox is facing mostly West.  The additional slit on the side is for extra light for the camera - it is covered with a thin sheet of PVC plastic, so while it forms a little alcove, it is not letting the elements in.

Bill Dove's picture

 

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Bill Dove's picture

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Delorahilleary's picture

The 43 degrees was a bit more accurate yesterday, though definitely some weird stuff is going on.  Zany mountain west weather!

Today, we are expected to hit a high of 80 degrees, with a chance of snow tomorrow.

Bill Dove's picture

 

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madeline's picture

hoping she will lay a 4th egg this evening, and then probably start incubating. 

Bill Dove's picture

 

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Minot's picture

11:53 after several off-camera trills, the male arrives at door of box, gives several louder, closely-spaced trills, and after 10-20 seconds, flies off, gives a couple of fainter trills, then silence.  I didn't see that he brought any food.

Minot's picture

15:05  Female seemed to leap off eggs, calling insistently.  Then she perched in cavity, still calling.

15:06 Male arrived on top of box; female continued to call.  Female then flew off, male followed

15:07 Male returned, entered box, incubated eggs

15:09  Male exited box.  Eggs left alone.

madeline's picture

is there anyway this discussion forum can be flipped so that the most recent is on top, so dont have to endlessly scroll to find most recent comment at the bottom??

Bill Dove's picture

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Administrator - The Peregrine Fund's picture

There is not a way to force this thread to reverse the sort order. However, I did create a separate page that will show comments with most recent at the top. You can view comments in that order at http://hub.peregrinefund.org/akp-2015-cams-discussion

Owluver's picture

Great idea.  I notice that nothing changed; it sure would be easier to follow the discussion.

Minot's picture

The female has been very restless; flying into and shortly leaving the box (twice that I've seen) and moving around a lot when she stays longer.

15:59 the male arrived with a rodent.  She didn't try to take if from him.  He flew off with it after less than a minute in the box.

16:04 female still on eggs, but moving head around, wiggling body.

16:05 turning eggs, spreading wings and almost standing on her head.

16:10 has been incubating eggs quietly for the last 5 minutes.

 

Bill Dove's picture

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Minot's picture

16:04 female restless, turning eggs, spreading wings, changing position, uttering chitter calls

16:04 the male arrives with a (small, this time) rodent.  The female makes some attempt to take it, he does not release it.

16:05 male exits box, carrying rodent.

 

Bill Dove's picture

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madeline's picture

interesting how the female often doesnt take the food the male brings, as if she is not hungry, and instead of storing food gift in box, male leaves with it.    When the female does accept the food, she usually flies out of the box to eat/stash it.   I is thinking they will start stashing food in the box once the eggs start hatching?

 

Bill Dove's picture

 

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madeline's picture

male arrives and twitters in a possible attempt to get female to exit the box.  She doesnt seem to be interesting in socially with her mate.  he eventually leaves.  He comes back again, twice. but she doesnt leave.  Maybe there is another egg imminent?

Minot's picture

17:48 after sitting and preening on the corner of the wall top, the male flew to the door of the box, where he hung looking in. The female chittered but did not move (except her tail, in synchrony with her sounds).  After a little time of this, the male flew back to the top of the wall, same corner which is where he generally sits if not on top of box.

17:54 male flew to box as if to hang in doorway, but slid down and off it, as well as off camera.  The sound of his foot (? primaries?) scraping down the box was audible.

17:56 male returned and entered box.  Chittering -- I'm not sure which one was doing it.  Female stretched and moved around a bit but without coming off eggs.

17:57 Male exited box.

17:58  Female turning eggs; I can see a couple of them, but can't tell what total number is.

18:01 female has settled down to incubate eggs.

This is sooo fascinating to watch, and the sound adds so much.  Thank you, Perigrine Fund, Bosch, BSU, Intermountain Bird Observatory, and Idaho Fish and Game -- and everyone who donates to help make it possible.

Bill Dove's picture

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Posted in General Discussion by Administrator - The Peregrine Fund 8 years 11 months ago.

 

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