This heartwarming film tells the story of three kestrel chicks now flying free after being rescued from a terrible tragedy.

Watch Mr & Mrs Kes interact live on my nest cam:    • Live From Fotherdale | Robert E Fuller   and follow their story in this playlist:    • Kestrels  Mr & Mrs Kes | Wild Lives ...  

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ABOUT THIS FILM
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Tragedy for kestrel chicks

Soon after all five kestrel chicks hatched, I noticed their mother was slumped in the nest. I watched the screens carefully that night but when I woke up the next morning she was lying motionless, the chicks trapped beneath her. I rushed out to the nest. She had died in the night. 

Rescuing the chicks

I had to work quickly since the chicks were too tiny to survive on their own. I lifted her off and carefully took the chicks out from under her. Tucking all five twodayold chicks into my jumper to keep them warm, I carried them inside and quickly found a box to put them in with a heated mat whilst I made arrangements for my local wildlife rehabilitation centre, Ryedale Rehabilitation, to take them in.

Motherless kestrel chicks

Kestrel chicks cannot survive at such a young age without their mother. Although the male provides food for the family, it is the female that tears it up into morsels and feeds it to the chicks. I still do not know the cause of her death and sadly, despite my best efforts, two of the chicks died before they reached the rehabilitation centre.

New enclosure

Now healthy young birds at four weeks old, I got the remaning three back from the rehabilitation centre ready to be released into my garden. They spent a week on my porch whilst I built an enclosure for them on top of a tower. I wanted them to be able to see the garden from this enclosure so that they would think of it as home. They spent about a week in this enclosure, then, when they were six weeks old the day came to release them.

Flying free

I opened the door to the enclosure and watched them hop out with surprising confidence. It was an incredible feeling to watch them as they flew free over the trees at the edge of my garden. These chicks had survived such a disastrous start and here they were now flying free.

Home for kestrel chicks

Then something even more incredible happened: after resting on the branch of a tree and testing themselves on the wind once more, all three fledglings flew back to the tower I had released them from. They saw the tower as home.

Young kestrel explore the wild

Over the next few weeks, I left the door to the enclosure open so that they could come and go as they pleased. It was fun to watch them explore the garden. I filmed them as they took their first ever dips in the garden ponds. One day one of them knocked over a GoPro I was filming them on!

Kestrel chicks meet stoat

Then the kestrel chicks came face to face with one of the stoats in the garden. I don't know which species was more surprised, but I was glad the kestrels survived this first encounter. 

Kestrels set off

It was another two months before the kestrels eventually left the garden and set out to find territories of their own. I still miss the sound of them calling to me whenever I step out of the back door but it is great to think that they made it despite their tragic start.
 
Read more about the kestrel family in my garden on my blog: https://www.robertefuller.com/diary/c...

ABOUT ME
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I am a British wildlife artist and filmmaker on a mission to share my love for wildlife with the world. As well as creating detailed animal film and art portraits, I promote wildlife tours around the world and do all I can to help conserve and protect wildlife here at my home in Yorkshire. I hope that by putting nature in the frame I can foster a deep love for wildlife amongst my followers.

You may like to purchase my artwork which you can find on my website: https://www.robertefuller.com. Many of my paintings are portraits of the wonderful characters you watch here!

You can also follow me on these platforms:
Website: https://www.robertefuller.com
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© Robert E Fuller

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Music by https://www.zapsplat.com/

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