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Kestrel Cam

Kestrel Cam is an ongoing blog that notes findings from two wildlife cameras set up at Queenscairn Farm in the Scottish Borders. Camera one is set up on the side of a straw shed beside a Kestrel nest. Camera two has moved around and most recently it has been located beside a side enterance of Queenscairn woodland (situated behind the farm).



Female Kestrel flying toward the nest to join their partner and feed their chicks(see hanging mouse from the male’s beak). Male Kestrel’s can be indentified from the grey feathers in thier tail and around their face. Crow flying in the distance, packs of crows frequently chase and torment Kestrel’s in the air, this can be dangerous, especially for the chicks. 



Early morning feed. Male or female (difficult to tell here) leaping into the nest, carrying a mouse to feed chicks. 



Female, diving leaving the nest. 



Female or young chick heading back in. Suspected younger chick due to shorted tail feathers.

Female feeding 

Kestrel chick’s hanging out on the metal bar, looked like 4 chicks this year. 

Curious Kestrel lands on the camera. In the video version of this they shake the camera and you can hear them speaking to one another,(will upload video soon). 

Kestrel chick (female) sitting beside the camera. In the video version of this the chick sits for almost 10 minutes, bobbing its head before flying off. Appears to be a an early attempt at flying, potentially its first! I will upload the video, really incredible to see! 

Kestrel sitting on the camera again. In June the camera gets knocked onto its side by one of the chicks.There are several videos of a Kestrel sitting ontop of the camera looking down at it.  

Wings flapping has triggered nightmode

Camera Two. Set up at at side enterance to Queenscairn wood. Captured image of a local fox. 

Badger passing through. Badger numbers have increased significantly in this area over the past decade. They have been frequently caught on camera two.