Kestrel vs Jackdaw | Brutal Fight To Defend 6 Kestrel Bird Eggs | Part 2

The kestrels here at Fotherdale have got six eggs and after a month of incubation they're nearly ready to hatch. But the kestrels haven't had it easy, fighting off a whole host of threats. Here's how the egg laying process began. Back in the beginning of April I watch closely as the female arrives at the nest. She's easily distinguished from the male because she doesn't have a grey head and tail. She begins to nest scrape, a sign she's Kestrels don't collect nest material, instead forming a shallow depression in which to lay. Satisfied with the work the female settles down and soon reveals her first egg. She takes a look at the egg before briefly sitting on it. Full incubation won't start until the clutch is almost complete. An hour later the female has a visitor. Her mate arrives with a lizard for her. During courtship and nesting the male provides for the female and this lizard is a delicacy. Now the male heads inside and sees their egg for the first time. He checks it over with his beak and then takes his turn in the nest. Kestrels usually lay their eggs every other day, so two days later I'm keeping a close eye on that female. She enters the nest with purpose and overnight she reveals a second egg 61 hours after the first. She's exhausted from laying and quickly falls to sleep but soon gets an unwanted visitor. A barn owl takes a peek but is quickly frightened off by the protective female. During the spring nest sites are in high demand so it's not only barn owls she needs to look out for. In the morning a jackdaw arrives, it's after this nest too. The female is panicked, last year she lost an egg to a hungry jackdaw and she doesn't want that to happen again. Just in time the male kestrel comes to the rescue, scaring it off. The eggs are safer now and soon two become three. During incubation both the male and the female take their turn on the eggs. But the male doesn't forget his duties, providing for his mate. The female seems satisfied with her meal and soon settles in to lay again. Her feathers ruffle up and her breathing becomes heavy, all signs she's going to produce another egg. But she senses a threat and begins to call out in distress. The jackdaw is back and it's got company. This time the female scares them away single-handed. With the jackdaws gone she settles down again and a couple of hours later she reveals a fourth egg. But the ordeal isn't over yet, the jackdaw returns again. This time the male kestrel swoops in to see it off. But these jackdaws just won't give up, the male returns to the nest but he's got company. The jackdaw shunts him inside, the male hands over his catch and then takes to the skies to pursue his attacker. But despite the drama the kestrel's clutch grows again. A sixth egg to complete the clutch. With six eggs to protect the female must be constantly vigilant, fending off more jackdaw attacks as well as unexpected visitors. A male kestrel lands on the branch outside. But this isn't her mate, it's the young male from Ashwood still on a hunt for a nest site. But it's quickly seen off by the defensive female. There are no attacks the next day and I'm beginning to think the jackdaws have given up. But then I wake up to shocking scenes inside the nest. The female kestrel is gripping tightly to a jackdaw. My cameras haven't recorded overnight due to a power cut but I can only assume they had a dramatic battle inside the nest. Both birds are obviously exhausted from the fight, breathing heavily and the kestrel's face is covered in blood. Eventually the stalemate ends as both birds scramble for the exit. The eggs seem unharmed but they're scattered around the nest and if they're not incubated soon the growing chicks inside will die. 20 minutes later the female returns to try and incubate. But with the eggs spread out and partially buried she can't cover them all and makes no effort to gather them up. If I don't intervene some of the eggs will fail. Eventually the female leaves the nest giving me an opportunity. I quickly make my way to the nest, reform the nest scrape and gently rearrange the eggs. Three of the eggs feel cold and I can only hope my intervention helps. Now I wait to see if the female will return. It's the male that's first back at the nest. He seems distressed, he can't work out why the eggs have been left. But finally the female returns.