Off Topic Unexpected visitor

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old lads fan

old lads fan

Well-Known Member
Sep 24, 2019
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Spain
I was woken this morning by a loud bang on my bedroom patio doors at around 7am, jumped out of bed threw open the curtains expecting to see a burglar trying to enter my apartment. Highly unlikely as I'm 25 feet above ground but when you hear a loud bang you fear the worst.
This is what I was woken by.
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A young male Lesser Kestrel
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I took some pics on my iPhone before he flew off but he didn't budge so I grabbed my Leica camera and took some more pics, he jumped up onto the planters and gave me some great opportunities to get some nice pics. I got really close and he didn't flinch, his eyes followed me all the time.
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I took 50/60 pics and he just sat there like an old pro. I'll just post a couple cos they are very big files and I'm not too good at reducing them.
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He stayed on the planter till about 1 this afternoon, ate some ham and drank some water I gave him then he tried to fly off. He ended up in the bushes and trees you can see below him in the last picture and struggled to right himself and eventually fell to the ground. I saw a cat watching all this and he went looking for the bird so I went to see if he was ok but couldn't find him. There is no sign of him and he wasn't calling for his parents who were watching and calling for him while he was in the planter. I hope he makes it but his chances are very small but he is/was a beautiful little creature and for a member of the Falcon family very calm when confronted by a big old human.
My Daughter is trying to get me to write a blog for my photography but I wouldn't know where to start, I just enjoy taking the pictures and if people like what they see that makes me happy.
 
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Thanks Kitten, there is a family nesting just one floor above me on the roof and he has clearly fell off his perch and crash landed on my patio. He still had quite a bit of downy feathers on his wings so he was too immature to fly. If I could I would have taken him up to the roof but the apartment is unoccupied so I couldn't take him up, it's nature but a crying shame. When they pair up they bond for life.
 
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That is amazing, whereabouts are you if you don't mind me asking? I think it's my dream to see a bird of prey in the 'wild' in this kind of proximity, albeit the circumstances are sad.

If you ever want any help with the blog, let me know. I can help you get set up.
 
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Kittenmittons said:
That is amazing, whereabouts are you if you don't mind me asking? I think it's my dream to see a bird of prey in the 'wild' in this kind of proximity, albeit the circumstances are sad.

If you ever want any help with the blog, let me know. I can help you get set up.
Click to expand...
I'm on the Costa Del Sol Kittens, Duquesa area. There's a few breeding pairs living around here and this little fella's parents fly within a few feet from me every time they return to the nest. I posted a pic a few weeks ago of one of them coming into land just above me.
This is it.
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Thanks for the offer of help with the blog.
 
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old lads fan said:
I was woken this morning by a loud bang on my bedroom patio doors at around 7am, jumped out of bed threw open the curtains expecting to see a burglar trying to enter my apartment. Highly unlikely as I'm 25 feet above ground but when you hear a loud bang you fear the worst.
This is what I was woken by.
You must log in or register to see images
A young male Lesser Kestrel
You must log in or register to see images
I took some pics on my iPhone before he flew off but he didn't budge so I grabbed my Leica camera and took some more pics, he jumped up onto the planters and gave me some great opportunities to get some nice pics. I got really close and he didn't flinch, his eyes followed me all the time.
You must log in or register to see images

I took 50/60 pics and he just sat there like an old pro. I'll just post a couple cos they are very big files and I'm not too good at reducing them.
You must log in or register to see images
He stayed on the planter till about 1 this afternoon, ate some ham and drank some water I gave him then he tried to fly off. He ended up in the bushes and trees you can see below him in the last picture and struggled to right himself and eventually fell to the ground. I saw a cat watching all this and he went looking for the bird so I went to see if he was ok but couldn't find him. There is no sign of him and he wasn't calling for his parents who were watching and calling for him while he was in the planter. I hope he makes it but his chances are very small but he is/was a beautiful little creature and for a member of the Falcon family very calm when confronted by a big old human.
My Daughter is trying to get me to write a blog for my photography but I wouldn't know where to start, I just enjoy taking the pictures and if people like what they see that makes me happy.
Click to expand...
It likes its picture taken by the looks of it
 
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Daughter managed to save this fledgling from the bastid cat a while back. It also had some hair wrapped round it's legs which she removed and popped it back in the bird box where they were nesting.

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Makes a change from rescuing Bees in the conservatory with sugary water :D

Although it won't let me post a pic as it's saying the file is too large.

There's a pair of Kestrels nest on the roof at work every year. I thought i had a picture of a young un from recently on my phone but can't find it.
 
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Nig said:
Daughter managed to save this fledgling from the bastid cat a while back. It also had some hair wrapped round it's legs which she removed and popped it back in the bird box where they were nesting.

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Makes a change from rescuing Bees in the conservatory with sugary water :D

Although it won't let me post a pic as it's saying the file is too large.

There's a pair of Kestrels nest on the roof at work every year. I thought i had a picture of a young un from recently on my phone but can't find it.
Click to expand...

Great this.

For my birthday my mrs got me a bird box with an HD camera feed into it that I'm going to hook up in the autumn. The downside is I need to plug it in so either got to go through the wall of the house or the garage.

Bit worried that it will.just be a window into tragedy if whatever nests in there dies mind :D
 
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Kittenmittons said:
Great this.

For my birthday my mrs got me a bird box with an HD camera feed into it that I'm going to hook up in the autumn. The downside is I need to plug it in so either got to go through the wall of the house or the garage.

Bit worried that it will.just be a window into tragedy if whatever nests in there dies mind :D
Click to expand...
Why not take you wire from the garage outside and have a water proof socket so you can use it for anything?
 
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rooch 3 said:
Why not take you wire from the garage outside and have a water proof socket so you can use it for anything?
Click to expand...

Yeah it's a possibility I was thinking about while I wrote it, got a bunch of other home renovation stuff going on so probably makes sense.
 
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Kittenmittons said:
Great this.

For my birthday my mrs got me a bird box with an HD camera feed into it that I'm going to hook up in the autumn. The downside is I need to plug it in so either got to go through the wall of the house or the garage.

Bit worried that it will.just be a window into tragedy if whatever nests in there dies mind :D
Click to expand...


Make sure you put it in the right spot ;)
North to east facing is best.
Mine is facing North West but protected from the sun and rain by an overhanging summerhouse roof.
Tilt it forward too if its exposed.
This is the 3rd time blue tits have nested in it,
Had two bees nests in there too.
There used to be a lot of trees over the back from me that attracted doves and wood pigeon then a hawk would visit and get the numbers down :)
Less shìte on the mrs washing then :D
 
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I have Great Tits in the garden (my favourite kind :D ), hoping they'll nest! Thanks for the tips.
 
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