Full Story of Kestrel Couple's First Year 🦅 | Full Story | Athena & Apollo | Robert E Fuller
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2022-04-21に共有
Watch Apollo & Athena interact live on my nest cam: • Live From Ash Wood | Robert E Fuller and follow their story in this playlist: • Kestrels 🦅 Apollo & Athena | Wild Liv... …
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ABOUT THIS FILM
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Kestrel characters
Apollo, the male, is young and inexperienced. This is his first every breeding season and he is alternately either a little over excited or utterly overwhelmed. In contrast Athena, the female, is an older falcon and has possibly already raised chicks at least twice before. She has a no-nonsense approach to life and often gets impatient with Apollo's haltering attempts to please.
Kestrel courtship
It is usual for male kestrels to look for nest sites and then call out for a female, hoping she approves of his choice. We pick up the story when I notice Apollo calling from a tree in a nearby ash wood, trying to attract a mate.
Struggle to find a mate
Unfortunately, there is competition for suitable nest sites here and each time Apollo chooses a spot, another bird species occupies it before he can attract a female to it.
Kestrel nest box
I decide to help Apollo out by building a new nest box especially for him. This nest was part of a wider project to improve the habitat in this woodland. Read more about it here: www.robertefuller.com/diary/the-animals-of-ash-woo…
Kestrel eggs
Within days of erecting my box, Apollo calls and Athena appears. They waste no time in settling down together and starting a family. Just 10 days after their first meet, Athena lays the first of their five speckled brown eggs.
Turbulent beginnings
But Apollo's youth and inexperience often gets him into trouble with his new partner. Athena regularly berates him - watch her trap the poor male kestrel against the wall as she squawks at him for not bringing her food when he arrives to help incubate their eggs.
Five kestrel chicks hatch
Apollo soon learns who is boss and, thanks to his diligent support, five tiny chicks hatch out. With five mouths to feed, there is no longer time for squabbles and this kestrel pair soon settle into a rhythm of hunting for and feeding their chicks.
Tragedy strikes
But before long they more serious challenges to overcome. It has been a cold, dry spring and the rodents that these kestrels hunt are in short supply. The nights are also freezing, with regular hard frosts.
Tough decision
As the food supply dwindles, Athena decides to join Apollo hunting. She needs to balance the need to keep her chicks warm with the need for food. It’s a tough decision to have to make and sadly two chicks perish.
Intervention
I decide to help and begin to drop food into the nest to help the three remaining chicks survive. Thanks to Apollo & Athena's dogged determination, and with a little help from me, the three chicks survive.
Kestrel chicks
Watching the chicks grow, and finally take flight is a heartening sight. After such a tough start in life these kestrels are already displaying the ferocity they will no doubt need to survive. Watch them squabble for food once Athena stops sharing it out fairly!
Keep watching
You can continue to follow the lives of Apollo & Athena as they begin another breeding season on my live nest cameras!
ABOUT ME
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I am a British wildlife artist and filmmaker on a mission to share my love for wildlife with the world. As well as creating detailed animal film and art portraits, I promote wildlife tours around the world and do all I can to help conserve and protect wildlife here at my home in Yorkshire. I hope that by putting nature in the frame I can foster a deep love for wildlife amongst my followers.
You may like to purchase my artwork which you can find on my website: www.robertefuller.com/. Many of my paintings are portraits of the wonderful characters you watch here!
You can also follow me on these platforms:
Website: www.robertefuller.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RobertEFullerArt/
Twitter: twitter.com/RobertEFuller
Instagram: www.instagram.com/RobertEFuller/
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© Robert E Fuller
Copyright Disclaimer: Please feel free to share my videos but do not download any content without permission with the intent to re-upload. If you would like to license any content, please get in touch: [email protected]
#robertefuller #kestrel #falcon #wildlives #apolloandathena
コメント (21)
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I hope you've enjoyed the video! Watch more Apollo & Athena films: bit.ly/3pZ9i5s See them 24/7 on my livestream: bit.ly/3q0xpk4 Support my work with wildlife: www.robertefuller.com/support_and_donate/ Shop my kestrel artwork: www.robertefuller.com/product-tag/birds-of-prey/ Follow me: Facebook - bit.ly/43LiisV | Twitter - bit.ly/43yuiO9 | Instagram- bit.ly/3XV7rLA | TikTok - bit.ly/3XUnEAJ
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Imagine showing up to your house and it's full of food that you didn't buy and your kids tell you a giant hand came in through the roof and dropped it all off while you were away, that is what these chicks told their parents and the parents just went with it. Also one of your siblings was taken by the giant hand and never seen again.
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I love how with every new egg Athena laid, Apollo always looked at them like “omg those are mine- IMMA DAD”
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Everybody's talking about Apollo, but Athena is no slouch either. She's a great mother. They're both great parents. It was heartbreaking watching the fifth chick die. You did what you could to save the fourth one.
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I lost my father in 2018, he passed while flying his hang glider. I remember him watching red tail hawks telling me about flying in thermals with them. I often imagine him as a hawk, soaring, hunting, and being in the air. This really made me think of him, thank you.
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love how athena screams at him when the food he brought wasn’t to her liking LOL
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Apollo has one of the best character arcs, from a nervous guy trying to get some girls, to raising chicks as a proud dad
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I love how these young male birds of prey all seem to have two braincells. They’re all so cute and funny, but they’re all doing their best as first-time dads.
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Kestrels have a special place in my heart. My big brother brought home five babies when their tree nest was chopped down at his school. We fed them and raised them to adults. There were no places to get help back then about seventy years ago. We fed them liver because it was free from the butcher. They grew to be pretty healthy birds. I am so glad there are conservation programs now… great videos 🦅🥰💕👍
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Athena: I like this nest. Apollo: Why? Athena: The entrance hole is the exact same size as my body. Apollo: And that's important because...? Athena: Devious grin
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It's adorable to see Apollo return every time an egg hatches and just stand in the door awestruck that he has kids
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Apollo is the cutest bird ive ever seen. Him being so excited is adorable😭😭😭
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Apollo is like a dedicated first time father. He doesnt know what he is doing but he is doing his best
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I love Apollo trying his best. You can see he's so nervous with the older female.
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I have a lot of anxiety and night terrors, so most nights I'm too scared to fall asleep, but finding your channel helps me calm down and get tucked in for the night. Your voice is very soothing and the way you tell these birds story is beautiful. + the quality of both sound and video are stunning. Great bedtime stories!
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This man is going to blow up in the next 2 years, I feel. I can’t imagine how much effort & hard work it takes to give us this content. Just to give us an up close & personal experience of the lives of these birds. Just remarkable.
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I love the male kestrel’s little nod when he finds the first nest, as if he’s saying “yep this place is fine”
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You know it’s a good dad when he’s trying his best without the actual knowledge of how to do so (22:30 where he tries feeding the chicks himself without Athena despite it not being a part of his duty or within his skill set)
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Thank you for what you do! I foster and look over the wild toads and frogs in my area. Animals are so much more intelligent then we think they are. All lives are important, no matter how small. Thank you for protecting these guys!🐸🦅
