Kestrels have been nesting on the farm for 29 years or more. At first they used the fortunate portal in the cornice in front of the house. Some years they fledged two broods of 3 to 5. We are always excited when they announce their arrival in March and have grown accustomed to seeing them carrying snakes, rodents and what not to feed their young. When they were in the house we could lie on the attic floor and peek between the floorboards to see their fluffy white hatchlings. One year we found the male dead on the front porch and felt a great loss, we were quite astonished, delighted and relieved to see the female arrive with a new mate the following spring.

 In the last decade they have moved to a nesting box in front of the barn, this was not the deliberate choice of ours or of the kestrels. At one time we had kestrels and starlings using the same entrance at the same time for raising their young. There was a rafter that served as a divide in their condo and it was rather interesting that they tolerated each other. In addition to them we had starlings at each corner of the house, and as you might be able to infer, it was time for cornice repair, thus the move to the barn. If they had not been so obliging in adopting the nest box, we would have gone out of our way to undo the cornice repair.

 The kestrels don’t seem to mind our activity, and we’re fortunate to be hosts to their summer homes, it’s a rhythm of nature that we hope we are lucky enough to be a part of for many more years.