Some of you may remember I started a thread about a young Lesser Kestrel that crash landed onto my terrace last year and he stayed for an hour or two then decided to try and fly again and ended up in the undergrowth before being caught by one of the many cats that live around here. Anyway his parents have returned for the mating season and they are nested less than ten feet above my terrace as they were last year and I'm hoping they have more success this year with their young. I took a few pictures for anyone who might be interested of the male as he approached the nest. The camera used was a Leica with a fixed prime lens.
He circles the nest a few times to make sure everything is how it should be then swoops in quickly to land, fabulous things to watch. When they have chicks they take turns to leave the nest and they do fly pasts together.
thanks for that mate lovely pictures, beautiful animal and i hope they have success also, its about time something did around us
Must be fascinating to have a close up view of such creatures going about their business. Hope you see the youngun thrive - let us see it's earliest photos !
There are a few nesting pairs, probably 5 or 6 living in the community, and I watch them all the time. It's not easy getting pictures of them because they are really quick and nearly always above the rooftops. This picture is of the chick that landed on my terrace last year.
Good pics those! We’ve had a bird box in our garden for about 4 years with no success. This year a pair of blue tits have taken up residence. Great to watch them each morning. fingers crossed for some chicks to hatch. Our cat is well pissed off as we won’t let him out anymore.
Great pics mate , and thanks for the update, really appreciated. I get the same kick from the birds who visit my backyard. Wrens, blackbirds and (I was going to say and the odd pair of tits but I wont lower the tone ) . so just to keep on track and fend off any innuendo from the usual suspects, I will tell you a story, and ask a question. We had a blackbird build its nest in a small plant pot close to our patio door, we watched it build its nest and were excited when three eggs arrived, the subsequent hatching of the first one about a week or so later was a great day, the next morning arrived and the anticipation of a seeing another arrival turned to dust as the nest was completely bare, empty with no sign of disturbance or damage, but no blackbird eggs or chicks either. So just how far do you reckon your kestrels can fly.
Apologies OLF for any aspersions made about your birds, the spotlight has turned closer to home, the Mags ( feathered ones) yesterday I caught one harassing the blackbirds who had build a second nest unbeknown to me further up the yard in a climbing rose, I scared the black and white git off, but this morning evidence of broken eggs on the footpath and no sign of life, suggested it had returned for an early breakfast. Pity we haven't got a resident Kestrel, one with a taste for the odd Mag pie.
Thought it might have been Magpies that had emptied the nest, nasty bastards they are. Black n white twats. FTM.
air gun is even better and mags are vermin can be exterminated , it's only the two legged twats you will have to wait for a licence on them, cant see it being long like http://www.bigdansairguns.co.uk/SMK.php x208
we have a pair if tits nesting in our garden, in a little bird house - looks like same pair as last year. it is cool just sitting watchingvthem fly back with grubs for feed..... almost constantly we also have a kestrel on the local golf course. flew up to us on the 16th and landed on the 150 yard post when i was about to hit into the green. Very cool customer. ****e approach shot though. still fancy an air rifle and bagging / getting rid of the big magpies and ravens around our garden.
Me dogs shìt everywhere ffs. Its ok on the lawns I can see it but the stones on the drive ffs. Stood in one the other day and traipsed it through the house
Think you need a licence now to shoot magpies mate and pretty sure you can't shoot Ravens as they're protected.