Wayward Kestrel Chick Taxis for Takeoff

On Friday afternoon, July 27, one of the Rockaway kestrel chicks got loose from the nest and got stuck in an underground garage, unable to fly. While Tim Brand snapped pictures and his son Evan (above) kept the grounded kestrel chick company, Peninsula Humane Society animal control officer Sarah Henry arrived and quickly scooped up the stranded bird. 

She called the humane society's wildlife expert and they decided to release the chick right across the parking lot in the quarry area. So there are two chicks left in the nest and they'll probably be flying away in the next few days. Evan and Tim will make regular rounds and say that if any of the other chicks fall into the garage, they will just scoop them up and escort them to the field as they did with the first one today.

"We'll make refueling stops at Rock'n Robs, I'm sure," says Tim. "I'm disappointed that the fire department wouldn't come help. Oh well. At least we did the right thing. While we were waiting for animal control, one of the parents swooped in and gave the two still in the nest a mouse."

Comments

[Peter Loeb]

Monday morning - I can see 3 chicks in one view, 2 in the tree top, 1 on the hotel. I may have seen a 4th up in a different part of the tree but I can't be sure because the others had moved. I don't know if there were 3 or 4 chicks in the nest.

[Peter Loeb]

As of Sunday, all the chicks have fledged (left the nest) and they are all in the top of a tall tree nearby. The parents are bringing them food. It's the normal pattern for the parents to stay with the chicks for some time after they have fledged. Happy so far ...

"On the day that kestrel chicks leave the nest, they don't fly well and often spend a bit of time on the ground or other accessible places." http://www.kestreling.com/watching.html

[Bill]

They may have moved the birds, but they will die unless put back in the nest, as they cannot fly nor escape cats.
No happy ending this time, unfortunately.