Hello!
Welcome to the 2016 KestrelCam season! We're back with a brand-new camera courtesy of Bosch, and a new streaming platform on Youtube. If you notice the two cams are out of sync, try refreshing the page and restarting the streams. If you have technical issues or any other kind of issue, please use the contact staff link to get assistance.
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-Delora Hilleary
Comments:
Raining now.
Raining now.
Yay I can see them again!!!
Yay I can see them again!!! Thanks!
I used a break in the weather
I used a break in the weather to run up and clean it again. The female was not happy to see me - I hope it stays clean more than one day this time!
thanks, this time it really
thanks, this time it really obscured the cam
Some one is reporting
Some one is reporting fledglings preening. They aren't fledglings until they leave the nest right?
right
right
They are fledglings after
They are fledglings after they first leave the nest, yeah. But since nestlings have no options for male or female I chose to use those to indicate seeing chicks I recognize the sex of preening.
I might be wrong but it looks
I might be wrong but it looks like three of the chicks are male and two are female?
BTW, the cam needs a poop repelling lens. ;-) Earlier, I saw one of the chicks aim towards the cam, narrowly missing the lens. LOL
Nestlings are trying to cut
Nestlings are trying to cut and eat a rodent without parents' help.
Of course they pooped right
Of course they pooped right where you can't see them in the corner. I think they are doing it on purpose.
oh poop.
Maybe an angled plexiglass
Maybe an angled plexiglass/glass square to cover the camera and then the poop would run down away from the lens? like this / ? can't draw on here :)
For next year, I do not think
For next year, I do not think they can do anything this year except wipe it off once a while
they did not poop on the lens
they did not poop on the lens for 3 hours now. LOL
It's a record!!!
It's a record!!!
We have plans and ideas for a
We have plans and ideas for a poo-guard that still lets light into the camera, but we can't implement it until next year. Doing construction on an active nest box is not so good for the birds :)
Yes I realize that. You are
Yes I realize that. You are doing a great job cleaning it!
Yay! Clean again for now!
Yay! Clean again for now!
Just saw the male land on the
Just saw the male land on the box with food, the female swoop in and take it from him and deliver it to the chicks!
I'm only seeing three chicks.
I'm only seeing three chicks. Did something happen to the others?
Nope, they are all there! Two
Nope, they are all there! Two of them are just smooshed under the wood perch there. It's a fairly cold and windy day today. All five chicks are looking healthy right now :)
That's it, sweetheart, aim
That's it, sweetheart, aim away from the lens..... :). XO
Two little kestrel lads
Two little kestrel lads chilling and flapping their wings.
Perhaps as the birds get bigger the poop won't be on that high a trajectory any more.
Two little kestrel lads
The male adult came and went; a little one got a tidbit from the hole. It was quick!
Sometimes the parents just
Sometimes the parents just stop by and look inside checking on the chicks without entering the box. one thing which could be on drop down menu.
Wow the camera is still clean
Wow the camera is still clean!
Who wants to take bets on
Who wants to take bets on when I have to climb up there again? So far one evening passed!
LOL tomorrow? poop attack.
LOL tomorrow? poop attack. you spoke too soon!
Haha, you would think.
Haha, you would think.
Whole lot of flapping going
Whole lot of flapping going on!
At 20 days old, they suddenly
At 20 days old, they suddenly start looking like miniature kestrels finally :)
not too long now. they will
not too long now. they will start looking out the hole.
poop attack!
poop attack!
Ah, the window cleaners were
Ah, the window cleaners were there again, lol Thanks
I ought to get myself a maid
I ought to get myself a maid outfit :)
I noticed some beaking
I noticed some beaking between nest mates this morning. Affectionate little things.....
I noticed some beaking
Oh, yes, the 'tweet'......
When will the banding take
When will the banding take place?
They are now true little
They are now true little kestrels. Wonder what happened to the outside cam.
No more baby fluff on their
No more baby fluff on their wings! It's almost like that happened overnight!
I second a query; are they scheduled for a banding soon?
Banding is scheduled on the
Banding is scheduled on the 23rd. The kestrels are old enough to be banded now (their legs are adult-sized), however the 23rd was when a Boise State biologist could come in.
A little female wants badly
A little female wants badly to fly!
I hope the Kestrel Kids don't fledge before they are banded, being such a robust quintet this year.
They had a lot of rodents
They had a lot of rodents this year, much more nutritious than butterflies, lol.
But I do not think they are anywhere near fledging, their feathers have to grow .
oh poop! come on you guys.
oh poop! come on you guys.
I'll make a cleaning trip
I'll make a cleaning trip tomorrow morning :)
Wish I could see for certain,
Wish I could see for certain, but I think the birds try to peek up over the ledge now. It's so much a sign of their growth
Noticing a little bird
Noticing a little bird preening in the afternoon sun. I know that parakeets will preen as a 'displacement behavior.' Would this also be the case with other birds in a confined space, which the nest box has now become?
It's more likely the kestrel
It's more likely the kestrel nestlings feel comfortable and secure in the nest box, as kestrels will continue to use nest boxes to roost in at night even after they are done raising a brood for the season - and they also use cavities as shelter during the winter.
Feathers require a lot of upkeep and preening, and the young kestrels are helping their brand-new feathers grow in nice and neat, and are removing the white fuzz :)
I do not think so. I think
I do not think so. I think that it has something to do with the flight feathers growing and getting stronger and them instinctively keeping them in shape.
I don't remember which day it
I don't remember which day it was, but the male was perching on the top of the box for a very long time, and whoever was manning the camera zoomed in on him and it was awesome to see. Thank you!
I also have shared all the
I also have shared all the anxiety of thinking that one egg took so long to hatch, or one or more of the nestlings were not being fed. Tonight I saw two magpies on and near the box, and no mom or dad. But fortunately they left. Can a magpie enter the box?