Kestrels Unite to Win War Against Jackdaws | Apollo & Athena | Robert E Fuller

This is Apollo and Athena, the resident gastral pair at Ashwood. I'm following them with my remote cameras. As courtship begins, they battle with intruders, lay eggs, and welcome new life in the nest. Apollo and Athena have raised eight chicks over the last two years and all in this nest, ash hollow, and have had their fair share of battles. But one species has caused them more problems than anything else in the past, jackdaws. Jackdaws nest in tree cavities just like this one, so rivalry is fierce. Jackdaws are members of the corvid family and not only are they stocky birds with strong beaks, but they're extremely intelligent and weighing more than a kestrel, they're a formidable opponent. A lot to deal with when you're trying to win over a female. An important part of kestrel courtship is for the males to provide the females with prey. And Apollo is keen to show Athena he's worthy. He arrives with a vole, but his calls fall on the wrong ears. The jackdaws are here and chase him off. Now the nest is empty, the jackdaws look inside and even start removing nesting material. But their actions don't go unnoticed. Athena arrives to protect the nest and after a brief altercation, she drops out of sight. There was a fight at Ash Hollow yesterday and it isn't looking good for Apollo and Athena. I'm worried they might get put off nesting here. Nest sites for kestrels are in short supply, which is one of the reasons why they're on the amber list for UK birds of conservation concern. But these kestrels are determined, they're back. But so are the jackdaws. Apollo hears them and rushes out, accidentally knocking Athena out of the entrance. Apollo falls, but he's determined to protect this nest. The battles continue, becoming more intense. Athena has a jackdaw pinned down. And calls Apollo in. This doesn't look good for the jackdaw. But it escapes a grasp and Apollo tries grabbing it, but misses and the jackdaw gets away. A very lucky escape. It's now mid-March and a blanket of snow covers the Yorkshire worlds. Now more than ever, it's important to support wildlife. So I head to Ashwood to give the wildlife a helping hand. Kestrels are carnivores, so I supplement their diet with day-old chicks and mice. Even in these conditions, the kestrels are still caught in and protecting the nest from the jackdaws. This really isn't nice to see. Fights like this can be fatal. Either bird could lose their life. Apollo might be doing his best to defend the nest from intruders, but it's not enough for his demanding partner, Athena, who clearly wants to be fed too. And when he arrives empty-handed, she seems to tell him off. Repeatedly calling and trapping him in the nest. Before eventually letting him leave. Apollo seems to have got the message and his food delivery has become more regular. I also see Apollo nest scraping. This is when birds create a depression in the nest floor, where the female will lay the eggs. I see Athena nest scraping too. And my cameras even catch her mating right outside the nest. A great sign. In mid-April, Athena enters the nest and maneuvers around a twig left by the jackdaws. She settles and lays the first egg. This is fantastic to see. Through all the trials and tribulations, she's managed to lay. Apollo arrives and sees the first egg. Incubation usually starts after the third egg, leading to asynchronous hatching. This is when the eggs hatch over a few days, rather than all at once. So for now, in between short periods of sitting, the egg will be left unguarded. Apollo continues bringing food bits, but sometimes no one's home. It isn't long before the next egg is laid. Three days after the first, I see Athena contracting. A second egg. Fantastic! And only two days later, we have a third egg. So now, incubation happens around the clock. Hard work for Apollo and Athena. I spot Athena incubating the eggs with one eye open. This is known as unihemispheric, slow-wave sleep. Many bird species have this ability. Allowing one half of the brain to sleep, while the other half is awake and vigilant. It's a survival tactic and for a good reason. The jackdaws are back and grab at Athena's tail feathers. She's furious and attacks. Athena returns and is followed. Not by a jackdaw, but another female kestrel. Her plumage shows me she's less than a year old and when she turns, I see a damaged quill in her tail feather. This along with her other markings tells me it's Jenny, the female kestrel from Fotherdale. Obviously looking around for the best nest site for her and her mate, Jeff. But this one's taken. While Athena's cleaning the nest, I spot a fourth precious egg. Apollo is soon here to do his share of the incubation. Male and female kestrels share brooding duties and when Athena returns, she looks restless. She starts shuffling and eventually the contractions begin. And look at that, a fifth egg and still wet. What a privilege to witness such a special moment. It's been five days since Athena laid her last egg. Kestrels lay eggs every two to three days. So this means the clutch is now complete. Kestrel eggs take 27 to 29 days to hatch. So for the next four weeks, these eggs will be incubated by both Apollo and Athena during the day. But just Athena takes the night shifts. Incubation duties differ vastly across the bird world. In some species, females do all the incubation. In 5% of species like chicanas, the roles reverse and males do almost all of it. And in other species, it's a joint effort between males and females. Male kestrels do about 20% of the incubation but do most of the hunting. Over the next 24 days, this pair work well as a team. Apollo delivers lots of different types of prey. Some are better received than others. Worms are not a favourite meal for kestrels. But lizards are a delicacy. I've noticed Apollo bringing Athena live prey. Not something I often see with kestrels. Buzzards and corvettes pose a threat to a kestrel's catch. So he's in a rush to bring it back to the nest, dead or alive. Incubating eggs for over 19 hours a day must be monotonous for Athena. She seems fed up and chases flies around the nest. Meanwhile, it's non-stop for Apollo. He's busy chasing away potential threats. Be it squirrels or even more jackdaws. But the hard work has paid off and 34 days after the first egg was laid, I get a glimpse of the first chick. Apollo comes in for a brief look before heading back out. And now has a new mouth to feed. It's been an incredible journey following these kestrels through their courtship this year. Through the highs and the lows. To see Apollo up in his game, delivering food and protecting the nest. So Athena could safely lay five eggs. And it was so special to see the arrival of this year's first kestrel chick. Tune in next time to see new life fill in a nest as the rest of the clutch hatches. 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