CEH Kestrels

Micro-blogging about our resident pair of kestrels at @UK_CEH in Oxfordshire, UK. LIVE cameras:

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

🎉 Cameras are live 🎉
The 2021 live stream of the @UK_CEH Kestrels has begun. You can watch live 24/7, from either the outside (https://t.co/OHGvSCsxNR) or inside (https://t.co/3qR4Xe0fnm).
If you see something exciting tweet us about it! 🐣🐤🐥

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

This year's fledglings are hanging around the buildings, still being fed by mum and dad

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

Our kestrels are getting very defensive and not so happy about the Red Kites hanging around

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

Hi everyone, sorry for our silence. Unfortunately we have had technical problems this year and have not been able to run the cameras. We hope to get them fixed for next year.

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

And then there were 2...
The kestrel chicks are slowly moving out of the box and into the tree. With the outside camera not working these might be some of the last images we see of them

[Justine Robilliard🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇿🇦🇬🇧 @FishChips1]

@CEHBirdCam Seems we have 5 in the box again..yay!!! Relief!!!

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

One of our chicks appears to have left the box. It might be lower in the tree or on the ground. Unfortunately without the outside camera it is hard to know more

[Justine Robilliard🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇿🇦🇬🇧 @FishChips1]

@CEHBirdCam Where is number 5? I see only 4.. ringed right of frame is that number 5???

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

The chicks' first sets of feathers are starting to be noticeable now!

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

One of the chicks eats half of a vole in one mouthful 🤣
Mums in the background thinking "Where did the rest of the vole go?!"

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

The chicks are starting to practice flapping their wings! More than one instance of another chick getting a wing to the face! 🙈

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

It's pretty chilly overnight so the chicks are all huddling together to keep warm.

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

Overnight the chicks are pretty fidgety! They move about quite a bit while mum sleeps in the entrance to the box.

[Justine Robilliard🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇿🇦🇬🇧 @FishChips1]

@CEHBirdCam Where was rugby invented? Not that school called Rugby...A nesting box full of kestrels...A full on scrum...poor mom...

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

Here is a time lapse of s feeding session. Everyone gets a piece of the pie! 🍰

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

🌞 Rise and shine 🌞
The chicks are waking up! It is clearly a bit chilly at 4am as they are all huddled together.

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

Feeding time
*chirp chirp chirp*

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

Now is a great time to be tuning in to the kestrel camera. The chicks are being fed regularly and they are growing a lot from one day to the next. https://t.co/P4SOGglc3N

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

Chicks are all looking happy and healthy!

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

Today is prime time for kestrel watching! Lots of feeding of the 5 newly hatched kestrels. Rewind to 13:00 for some feeding. https://t.co/3qR4Xe0fnm

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

Wonderful clip of mum feeding her chick

[Justine Robilliard🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇿🇦🇬🇧 @FishChips1]

@CEHBirdCam BREAKING NEWS....Breakfast for 3...1st egg hatched....

[CEH Kestrels @CEHBirdCam]

Our first chick has hatched! Look out for more in the coming days