This is the story of Mr Kes, a kestrel who raised his six chicks alone after their mum disappeared. Male kestrels are not known to brood chicks, nor do they feed them, but this remarkable kestrel father learned to do both.
MR & MRS KES
The story begins fully of hope as Mr & Mrs Kes, an established kestrel pair, start a new season and Mrs Kes lays a clutch of six eggs in Ash Stump, a nest box I have designed especially for them.
NEST INTRUDERS
But incubation proves hazardous and Mrs Kes is interrupted from her brooding to fight off jackdaws, barn owls and even a red kite after they threaten to invade the nest.
CHICKS ALL HEALTHY
Despite these dramas, all six chicks hatch successfully and Mr Kes quickly adapts to his new role, hunting round the clock to provide food for his new family. Meanwhile it is Mrs Kes’ job to break up the food for the chicks.
MRS KES DISAPPEARS
But Mrs Kes seems exhausted and her behaviour changes dramatically. Increasingly, she leaves the nest, leaving the chicks all alone for short periods. Then, when a tawny owl appears at the nest she is visibly shaken and after a second encounter with the owl she flies off, never to return.
MR KES FINDS CHICKS ALONE
Mr Kes returns to the nest to find his chicks without their mother. He drops a vole on the nest floor but he has no idea how to feed them. If they don’t eat soon, they’ll die.
KESTREL CHICK RESCUE
I decide to intervene. I open the back of the nest and check the chicks. Three are weak and so I bring them into my studio for some intensive care, but I return the other three to the nest in the vein hope that Mrs Kes will return.
MR KES TRIES TO BROOD
When I notice Mr Kes trying to brood the chicks later that day, something male kestrels are not known to do, it gives me an idea.
I SUPPORT MR KES
I leave extra food out for Mr Kes in the hope that he will also try to feed them. And then the incredible happens – I notice him trying to break up food for his young and slowly this male kestrel does the impossible and learns to feed his chicks.
RESCUE CHICKS
Meanwhile, I fed the younger three chicks six times a day and kept them warm indoors until they are ready to go back into the nest with their wild siblings.
FAMILY REUNITED
Eventually the three rescued chicks are ready to return to the wild. When I place them back in the nest their siblings look so shocked, but Mr Kes barely breaks his strike, he is so focussed on feeding the brood!
RINGING DAY
When it is finally time to give the kestrel chicks their ID rings I am so proud. After such a difficult start it felt like they had finally made it and were now ready to graduate to adulthood.
TIME TO FLY
And when, one by one, all six chicks finally spread their wings and lift off for their first flights it feels amazing. Mr Kes defied all the textbooks to raise this clutch on his own and, with a bit of help from me, all six chicks are still flying free!
#kestrels #wildliferescue #robertefuller
