Movie | All 6 Kestrel Chicks Fledge & Be taught Life within the Wild 🦅

After such a shaky begin, it was unimaginable to observe all six of kestrel’s Apollo & Athena’s chicks fledge. Watch their ultimate days within the nest and see how they put together for all times within the wild.

Six kestrel chicks

Elevating kestrel chicks within the wild is difficult. Already kestrel pair Apollo & Athena have needed to deal with threats from jackdaws and squirrels, a mysterious sickness, and one frail chick. Now their fourth brood is rising quick and the male kestrel Apollo is searching around the clock to search out sufficient meals for them. Often Athena, who principally stays shut by to protect the nest, helps out – catching prey that wanders near the nest. Generally Athena can appear abrupt as she snatches Apollo’s choices from him, however her sense of urgency is designed to encourage him to go straight again and catch extra prey. 

Feathers develop

The chicks downy feathers quickly begins to moult and is changed wit their true, flight feathers and by three weeks they’re nearly prepared for all times outdoors the nest. However first they want their ID rings. Licensed ringer Jean Thorpe arrives to tag every kestrel chick and we additionally give them a well being examine and weigh them. The youngest, the chick I had to assist, is now 160gs, nonetheless a lot smaller than its siblings.

Filming the fledge

Shortly earlier than they fledge I arrange a scaffold tower in order that I can movie their first carry off. Watching them fly feels wonderful. To assume they had been so fragile as hatchlings. As one chick prepares to fly it comes nose to nose with a jackdaw. It stands its floor – an excellent signal as a result of this may not be its final encounter with a corvide.

First flights

The primary 5 fledge in sooner or later, leaving the youngest, the chick I had helped as a hatchling, within the nest for a couple of extra days. Then finally all six are out of the nest and exploring their environment. Its wonderful to observe them sharpen their expertise over the subsequent few weeks.

It has been a complete privilege to movie and doc this story, from laying, to hatching to elevating all six chicks to fledging.