Kestrels - All fledged

 

Of the original 6 at Beckton Sewage Works, unfortunately one was lost after 3 came down on fledging, 2 I marked low down but I saw the 3rd disappear low around a corner and that was the last I saw of it. Despite a search of over 30 minutes, I could not locate it sadly, the remaining 2,with a decent breeze regained the roof of the Centre after watching them for a while. It was getting near the stage where I was going to catch them and put them on the roof, but they did that under their own steam, a good result.

On Wednesday 21st , the following day, I popped in hoping that the missing bird may have reappeared but unfortunately not to be, it was just the 5 catching some early morning rays.

A pity but nonetheless a good brood of 5 juveniles, watching them again on Thursday briefly, showed all 5 flying/landing fairly well and going ever further in flights from the Thames Water Centre.

I visited the Quarry birds on June 18th and there were a definite 4 in the nest hole, additionally as I was watching during the course of the morning, 2 exited the hole and made their way, scrambling along the quarry face towards the female.

                                                                Quarry - 1st one out

                                                               Beckton - 5 juveniles

                                                                     Female Kestrel

                                       Beckton -  These made it back up under there own steam

                                                     One of the juv's practicing landings

A good result on both sites, as with Kestrels, fledging is often hazardous, during the week I retrieved a juvenile female Peregrine, that had been stuck on a glass balcony for 2-3 days. With the sun and the heat, lack of food, she was extremely weak, I took her SEWH straight away, she has started to eat but struggling to stand, fingers crossed for her.

Thankfully she was found, from the excrement stains she had obviously tried repeatedly to get out, glass balconies will always be an issue unfortunately, they will persist in trying to get through it even when there is room for flight and a run up to get up and over it. At fledging they lack the strength needed to clear it vertically.

                                                                 Where I found her

                                                                    Extremely weak

Hopefully she will make it.