“Our” kestrels online

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A virtual window into our balcony…
Click the camera image or its number to open the  camera page…
We are also testing a live stream on our Falco tinnunculus brunensis  YouTube channel. See also YouTube live.

The story so far: Kestrels have been nesting on our balcony regularly since 2007. The male of the kestrel pair has been living with us since November 2019. With the previous female (she lived with us from July 2018 to January 2022), they brought out 6 young in 2020 and 4 young in 2021. With the current Mrs Kestrel, who  appeared here on February 12, 2022, then 4 young ones in 2022, 6 ones last year.

Currently, the kestrel couple appear on our balcony to spend here the night or to find shelter in case of bad weather. From mid-February we can see them much more often even during the day. As they stayed together throughout the winter, we observed courtship behaviour very early. The courtship involves the male passing food to the female to prove he’s a great provider and that this territory is a suitable rodent-packed place to nest. It seems that she is no longer hunting and is just waiting for a supply from the male. She also invites him to mate more and more often…

When the kestrels are not present, you can see also other birds: tits, nuthatches (regular winter visitors in small mixed troops), sparrows…  and also pigeons, whose presence is a permanent source of conflicts with kestrels.

The swift nestboxes next to the kestrel’s balcony had been empty since July 25 of last year. Hopefully they will be back in early May.

 

Kestrel seasons
Season 2024
(in Czech only).

 

Updated 05/03/2024 16:13

Of Mice and Kestrels

Kestrels (common or european kestrels) stay with us in our flat in a housing estate in the suburb of Brno for a long time. Initially they used our balcony only as a shelter and dormitory, but since the fire in 2006, the situation changed. Starting with the 2007 season kestrels are nesting here. History of nesting can be found here. Photo and video archive here. Continue reading “Of Mice and Kestrels”