I was all smiles when all six of single kestrel dad Mr Kes' chicks got their ID rings. After such a difficult start it felt like they had finally made it and were now ready to graduate to adulthood.
The back story
When these six kestrel chicks lost their mother it was touch and go whether they would survive. But with a little support from me, their amazing dad, Mr Kes, learned to care for them on his own. This was really incredible given that male kestrels don't usually do this and in most cases motherless kestrel chicks die. I helped Mr Kes by putting extra food into the nest, but mostly he worked round the clock to keep his six chicks fed. I kept a close eye on their progress via my nest cams ready to intervene if necessary.
Kestrel chicks grow & ID rings
It wasn't long before the chicks could feed themselves and at three weeks old their flight feathers came through. At three weeks old the nest was a little crowded and it was almost time for them to fledge. But before they left, we needed to attach ID rings to their legs. This is done by Jean Thorpe, a licensed bird ringer. Jean fits a lightweight metal ring, perfectly sized to fit for life, to each kestrel. Then we weighed them ready to send the data to the British Trust for Ornithology. All this data forms a national database, providing vital information about wild kestrel populations.
Heartwarming
After a tough start in life, it’s amazing to see all six chicks so healthy. After the tragedy of losing their mother, who would have thought? These chicks are thriving, and they’ll be ready to fledge in just a week’s time.
