Kestrel Nestbox installed

Earlier this month we had a Kestrel nestbox installed between the pumping station close to Kingfisher Hide and the lake. Good views of the box (and therefore hopefully in due course of breeding Kestrels) can be had from the area in front of the pumping station looking East back towards Stockers House.

You may recall that Stocker’s Lake hosted a Kestrel box once before. The previous box was visible from Kingfisher Hide and was used successfully by breeding Kestrels for several years. Unfortunately the tree on which it was situated blew down in a storm in 2012 and there was no suitable alternate site in that particular area. So we have been without one since then until now.

Fledged Kestrels viewed from Kingfisher Hide - July 2011

New Kestrel Box Installation - Jan 2022

Because we know that Kestrels have previously successfully used a nestbox on the reserve we are cautiously optimistic that they will do so again. Should the new box be used by the birds in 2022 we shall consider installing an observation camera in it in time for the 2023 season so that we might capture, and perhaps even livestream, images of breeding birds.