August 2022 Kestrel Update

August Kestrel Update!

Dear Community Conservation partners, since mid-April FoHVOS has been keeping a close eye on its 50 American Kestrel nest boxes. Each year we maintain and monitor boxes situated in grassland habitats throughout the Hopewell Valley as part of our project to recover the population of this state-threatened Falcon in our region. You may have seen some of these boxes while hiking in places like Mercer Meadows, St. Michael’s Farm Preserve, the Watershed Reserve, or Fiddler’s Creek Preserve.

The kestrel season has come to a close, but we are thrilled to report on the success of our kestrel boxes this year. We had 17 nesting attempts and 16 were successful. Bill Pitts from the Endangered and Nongame Species Program, banded 65 chicks in the FoHVOS boxes. Overall, the state had about 90 successful boxes and about 350 chicks banded. It was a banner year all around.

Some of the nests were in boxes that had been previously used and some were in boxes that for the last few years had only housed starlings. That was quite a surprise to us and to the landowners to find out the kestrels had moved in. Some boxes take years for kestrels to find and some are found right away. We put up a box at the Howell Farm, and within a few days, kestrels had moved in. Location is important.

We want to thank all the landowners and volunteers who helped out with this project this year. We are already looking forward to 2023.