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1st Kestrel nest box site   (Monitoring notes)
 Photos & nest by John C in Boyds, MD 2002

Box 1 babies asking for food LEFT: 5 babies on 6/8/02 asking for food at about 4-6 days old.

About this monitoring: This box is visible from the road I travel on my morning and evening commute, as well as in & out of town on the weekends. There isn't a good place to pull over and watch with a pair of binoculars. I can only report what I see at 170' while moving.

2000:
7/2000 Kestrel on adjacent utility line.
11/2000 Kestrel on adjacent utility line.

September 2001:
9/20/01 Kestrel box #1 mounted.

2002:
3/27/02 Starlings seen in and on box for about 2 weeks so far.
3/27/02 Possible Kestrel peering out of entrance - too far to tell - might have been Starling.
3/28 Kestrel perching on adjacent
utility line, 1st proximity sighting since Fall.
3/29 Kestrel on the nest box perches. 1st confirmed sighting on any of my boxes.
4/4 Two Kestrels perching on adjacent utility line.
4/10 Two Kestrels: 1 perching utility line, 1 on nest box perch.
4/11 Two Kestrels on nest box perches.
4/15 Two Kestrels on nest box perches.
4/18 Kestrel on perches.
4/20 Starlings emptied box. Male Kestrel flew at me calling: "k'lee, k'lee..." as I put hay in box.
4/20 Kestrel on perches.
4/22 Kestrel on fence.
4/23 Kestrel on fence.
4/24 Kestrel on perches.
4/26 Kestrel on fence.
4/29 Kestrel on fence.
5/1 Kestrel on fence.
5/2 Kestrel on fence.
5/3 Kestrel on fence.
(between 5/3 and 5/6, egg laying probably started!!!)
5/6 Kestrel on perches.
5/11 11:30 AM Kestrel entered box!
5/18 Kestrel on fence.
6/2 Kestrel eating on fence post.
6/3 Kestrel on fence.
6/8 Found 5 baby Kestrels during physical opening of the box.
6/8 Kestrel exited/entered when combine blocked nearby traffic.
6/9 Kestrel(male) on perches.
6/10 Kestrel on perches.
6/11(2x) on perches.
6/12 Kestrel on perches.
6/13(eating) on perches.
6/14 Kestrel on perches.
6/15 Kestrel on perches.
6/16 Kestrel on perches.
6/17 One Kestrel perching on adjacent utility line.
6/18 One Kestrel perching on adjacent utility line.
6/19 Kestrel on perches.
6/24 One Kestrel perching on adjacent utility line.
6/25 One Kestrel perching on adjacent utility line.
6/26 Kestrel clinging to entrance hole, looking inside.
6/27 Kestrel peering out of box.
6/27 One Kestrel perching on adjacent utility line.
6/29 One Kestrel perching on adjacent utility line.
6/29 Kestrel on fence.
6/29(2x) Kestrel peering out of box.
6/30(2x) Kestrel peering out of box.
7/1 Kestrel clinging to entrance hole, looking inside.
7/1(2x) Kestrel peering out of box.
7/2(2x) Kestrel peering out of box.
7/3 Kestrel on perches.
7/4 2 Kestrels on top of box(2x), 99 degrees F out, 1 fledge may have occurred.
7/5 2 Kestrels on top of box(2x)
7/5 no more activity inside of box, remaining babies may have fledged.
7/7 One Kestrel on fence, then possibly 4 Kestrels on fence
7/8 No activity in the morning, but 3 Kestrels on box roof & 1 on fence.
7/9 One Kestrel on box roof (AM), no activity at 9 PM.
7/10 No activity @ 9 AM, 1 or Kestrels on fence @ 4 PM
7/11 1 Kestrel on box roof in the AM.
7/14 Possibly 4 Kestrels on fence, might have been doves.
7/16 No more definite activity since 7/11.
7/28 No more definite activity except 7/25 on Kestrel perches.
7/21 Box was painted white, lots of insect remains inside.
8/5 Kestrel on perches.

2003:
2/11/2003 Kestrel on perches @ 9AM.
2/21 Female(?) Kestrel on perches @ 2PM.
3/12 Female(?) Kestrel on perches @ 8AM.
3/14 Kestrel on fence next to box @ 8AM.
3/21 Kestrel on perches @ 8AM.
3/24 Landing Kestrel scares Starling from perches @ 8AM.
3/27 Kestrel on perches @ 8AM.
3/28 Kestrel on perches @ 6:30PM during fog & overcast skies.
3/31 Something looked out of entrance @ 8AM.
4/1 Kestrel on perches @ sunset.
4/4 Kestrel on perches @ 8AM.
4/8 Kestrel on perches @ 9:30AM.
4/9 Something was in entrance @ 9AM in heavy rain.
5/8 Kestrel(?) in entrance @ 2PM, no Starlings for about 3-4 weeks.
5/21 Kestrel(?) on perches @ 6PM preening tail after a day long rain.
5/22 Kestrel, possibly a male, on perches @ 6PM. No rain this day.
5/24 Kestrel flew from adjacent fence and hovered @ 3PM.
5/26 Kestrel on adjacent fence @ 6PM.
5/27 Kestrel on perches @ 9AM.
5/30 Kestrel on perches @ 1:30PM.
6/1 Kestrel on fence @ 5:30PM.
6/1 Found 3 baby Kestrels during physical inspection of the box. A possibly sterile egg was
    in there. 1 parent flew from fence and called for about 30 secs and then left.

6/2 Kestrel on perches @ 8:30AM looking down & fluttering its wings, then it flew down.
6/4 Kestrel on fence, then flew towards road @ 8:30AM.
6/5 Kestrel on perches @ 6:30PM.
6/7 Kestrel tail sticking out of box @ 12:30PM.
6/9 Kestrel on fence @ 6:30PM.
6/9 Kestrel on perches @ 8:30AM.
6/10 Kestrel flew to perches @ 8:30AM.
6/11 Kestrel on fence @ 8:30AM & 6:30 PM.
6/12 Kestrel head sticking out of box @ 8:30AM.
6/13 Kestrel head sticking out of box @ 6:30PM before storm.
6/14 Kestrel head sticking out of box @ 2:00PM, on fence at 4 PM.
6/20 Kestrel on perches @ 6:30PM.
6/21 All 3 babies may have fledged! 4 on fence, Kestrel or Grackle on perches @ 5:30PM.
6/22 Kestrel on perches then flew to mowed grass @ 4:00PM.
6/24 Kestrel on fence @ 2:00PM.
7/1 Kestrel on perches @ 12:00PM.
7/4 Kestrel on perches 2x, on fence 1x.
7/15 Kestrel on perches was repeatedly dive-bombed by Tree Swallow 6:45PM.
    The Kestrel briefly fluttered its wings as it hunkered down for each near strike.

7/16 Possible Kestrel on perches and then flew somewhere downward @ 6:45PM.
7/17 Kestrel on perches @ 5:30PM.

2004:
2/19/2004 Kestrel on perches @ 8:45AM.
2/23/2004 Possible Kestrel on nearby fence post @ 8:45AM.
2/24/2004 Kestrel on perches @ 8:45AM in light sleet/snow/rain.
2/25/2004 Kestrel on perches @ 8:45AM, a 2nd one then landed and perched with it.
3/1/2004 Kestrel on nearby fence @ 8:45AM.
3/2/2004 Kestrel on nearby fence post with mate(?) 1' away on fence wire @ 8:45AM.
3/3/2004 Kestrel on perches @ 8:15AM.
3/9/2004 6 days w/no monitoring, but Kestrel on fence eating w/mate near it @ 9:45AM.
3/10/2004 Kestrel nearby the box on fence w/mate near it @ 8:15AM.
3/22/2004 12 days w/no monitoring, but no Kestrels seen during 4 searches that day.
3/23/2004 Kestrel on perches @ 8:30AM.
4/12/2004 Checked it only 4-5x in 3 weeks and saw nothing.
5/2004 I moved to another county so monitoring became very rare.
6/12/2004 Checked it about 10x in 2 mos and only a few sightings.
6/12/2004 No Kestrels near box at 6:30 PM. No other checks made until 7/22.
7/22/2004 Kestrel eating something on fence post near box in the evening. My guess, even without opening (and smelling) the box is that this box did fledge some babies this summer.

2005:
4/8/2005 No Kestrels seen @ 5:35AM.
6/27/2005 No Kestrels seen all season, but I've only checked about 7 x.
6/28/2005 @ 5:10 PM Kestrel sticking head out of entrance, another was on the fence about 150' away.
6/30/2005 @ 3 PM Kestrel sticking head out of entrance, another on perches, & 2 on the fence below.
7/1/2005 @ 5:05 PM 2 or 3 Kestrels on roof, another on the fence below.

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  Page started: 7/8/2002. Last updated: 7/1/2005