June 20 - 21- Kestrel and Prothonotary Updates - Tuttle
E-Mail and Photos Dick Tuttle:
Hello Everyone,
Here are some updates.
AMERICAN KESTRELS: 21 June 2007 - Dick Phillips and I checked ten of 18 American Kestrel nest boxes to band four families and to confirm the status of six families over due to fledge.
While attaching U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bands to the young falcons, what remained of one nestling was found in a box as the other nestlings showed signs of being undernourished. Nestling kestrels will consume a sibling's remains when food is in short supply. Perhaps, this nest has only one parent, or young parents, or the habitat lacks adequate prey. Nestlings in other boxes were vigorous and nasty as they lay on their backs and tried to bite and grab. Of course, that's what wild animals are supposed to do.
Six boxes were found to be empty, revealing that Delaware County has 27 new kestrels. In fact, at Box No. 15 that Frank Germann has been following with his lenses, we watched five falcons in the air at once, and we heard one chirp from the waist-high corn.
Presently, 32 nestlings are scattered among eight other boxes while two additional boxes hold three and four eggs, respectively. So far, 2007 is a good year for the American Kestrel in Delaware County.
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER NEST JARS ALONG ALUM CREEK. 20 June 2007 - Early Wednesday morning I launched my canoe from the Kilbourne parking lot along Rt. 521. I used a Kayak paddle to propel my stable craft and checked ten pairs of nest jars along a one-mile stretch of Alum Creek and Alum Creek Lake.
I found that three warblers had fledged from Jar No. 8. Later, I banded five Prothonotaries from the last jar on the lake located at least 300 yards south of Osprey Platform No. One. The nestling warblers appeared to be six days old, which fits my observations of parents feeding on June 14. With a nestling period of only 11 days, they are due to fledge on June 25 - 26.
To see them from Hogback Road, you will need a spotting scope. That said, the golden swamp warblers put on a good show as both parents visit their nest every five minutes or so.
A family of Tree Swallows also fledged on time from Nest Jar No. 15, which proves that well ventilated nest jars are safe for their tenants, even during ninety-degree weather. But, of course, I had placed the jars where they are shaded for most the day, especially during the afternoon.
Raptor and Warbler on, Dick Tuttle
Hello Everyone,
Here are some updates.
AMERICAN KESTRELS: 21 June 2007 - Dick Phillips and I checked ten of 18 American Kestrel nest boxes to band four families and to confirm the status of six families over due to fledge.
While attaching U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bands to the young falcons, what remained of one nestling was found in a box as the other nestlings showed signs of being undernourished. Nestling kestrels will consume a sibling's remains when food is in short supply. Perhaps, this nest has only one parent, or young parents, or the habitat lacks adequate prey. Nestlings in other boxes were vigorous and nasty as they lay on their backs and tried to bite and grab. Of course, that's what wild animals are supposed to do.
Six boxes were found to be empty, revealing that Delaware County has 27 new kestrels. In fact, at Box No. 15 that Frank Germann has been following with his lenses, we watched five falcons in the air at once, and we heard one chirp from the waist-high corn.
Presently, 32 nestlings are scattered among eight other boxes while two additional boxes hold three and four eggs, respectively. So far, 2007 is a good year for the American Kestrel in Delaware County.
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER NEST JARS ALONG ALUM CREEK. 20 June 2007 - Early Wednesday morning I launched my canoe from the Kilbourne parking lot along Rt. 521. I used a Kayak paddle to propel my stable craft and checked ten pairs of nest jars along a one-mile stretch of Alum Creek and Alum Creek Lake.
I found that three warblers had fledged from Jar No. 8. Later, I banded five Prothonotaries from the last jar on the lake located at least 300 yards south of Osprey Platform No. One. The nestling warblers appeared to be six days old, which fits my observations of parents feeding on June 14. With a nestling period of only 11 days, they are due to fledge on June 25 - 26.
To see them from Hogback Road, you will need a spotting scope. That said, the golden swamp warblers put on a good show as both parents visit their nest every five minutes or so.
A family of Tree Swallows also fledged on time from Nest Jar No. 15, which proves that well ventilated nest jars are safe for their tenants, even during ninety-degree weather. But, of course, I had placed the jars where they are shaded for most the day, especially during the afternoon.
Raptor and Warbler on, Dick Tuttle
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