Baby hawks, storks and owls

[Lizzie]

Thank you for putting me right. I'd assumed by the valk at the end both names, they were both hawks, but I don't speak the language.

I can't believe how big the falcon chicks are now. Ten days ago the mother was able to tuck all four babies under her. How long will it be before they have their first flying lesson? Statistically, how many of them will survive their first year?

Do you know what Koolmees are? They look like tits of some kind.

[Catherinedana]

I don't speak it either, but I know my raptors. . .I've had personal relationships with them!! The hawk on my avatar has been a friend of mine for almost 15 years. . .she's a permanent resident at the wild bird sanctuary where I volunteer and I get to take her out to the beach for exercise and I take care of her jesses and clip her nails. Her name is Isis and I LOVE HER!!!!

There was a peregrine falcon at the sanctuary for a while, but he didn't do very well as a permie. The guys that they keep there have injuries that they cannot be released with but some birds really need to be free. The falcons are like that. Check out http://www.seabirdsanctuary.com/

I don't know when these guys hatched so it's hard to say when they will get ready for flight. You'll see them standing on the edge of the nest flapping away for a while. Their first flight is usually pretty short. . .from one branch to the next or even one side of the nest to the next. I'm at work now and can't view the video but I'll take another look when I get home to see if I can give you a guesstimate.

Did a search on "koolmes" and they are known in English as the Great Tit (blush!). You know your birdies!!

[Catherinedana]

I spent a bit of time looking through the videos on the pages as well as the live cams. The Torenvalk is also a falcon, a European kestrel (much bigger than the American Kestrel). There are these two dumb doves that keep going into and near the nest when the kestrels are gone! Suicidal!

The other falcons that still have the babies (peregrines). . .these chicks look pretty young. They need to get proper feathers before they can think about flying, probably in about two weeks. They do alot of snoozing, don't they!


This is so cool! Thank you so much for posting

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Wow, what a great website!! I DO speak the language and it is even my mothertongue !!
How the heck did you find this?

[NoahsMommy]

Wow! What an amazing site!!! Thanks for sharing! This is really neat to watch...

[Lizzie]

The Torenvalk eggs never hatched, the nest was abandoned. I checked often for two weeks and only ever saw eggs sitting there, then there were lots of flies and other bugs visiting as I guess they went bad. Are the kestrals visiting the nest now?

Yes, the falcon chicks do spend a lot of time sleeping, and pooping and eating - typical babies!

The address for this site came up as a news items on the VetPet listserve that I belong to, otherwise I'm sure I would never have found it.

Has anyone else seen the kingfisher?

[Catherinedana]

I saw the kestrel and dove interaction on the videos that are posted on the side of the page. The box is still empty. If you start with the video that says "illegal babysit" you'll see doves vs kestrels. Looks to me like the doves laid their eggs in the box but could not sit because the kestrels kept coming back. The kestrels probably did not settle there because of too much interference by the doves!!

BTW, the spoonbills are adorable too. Most of the time it's just one parent tucked tightly on the nest, but yesterday there was one standing beside the nest (all I could see were long skinny legs!) as well as the one sitting. The sitter stood up and I could see the little bobbing heads briefly before she plunked back down again.