20:49
Apollo and Athena have six eggs this breeding season. Join me as I follow this kestrel family through the first 7 days since the first chick hatched. This is Athena, a female kestrel, and she laid six eggs about a month ago. And the first chick is about to hatch. And I get a glimpse of the newly hatched chick. Athena must keep the chick and all the eggs warm. That night, she takes out another eggshell. And the following morning, I see the second chick has hatched.
Soon after, she removes a third eggshell. With new mouths to feed, he heads off to hunt when Athena returns. When she rushes to collect the vole he's delivered, one chick gets trapped from the safety of the clutch. For this one to survive, Athena will have to get it back underneath her with the other chicks. Fortunately, she finally gets it back to safety. The fourth chick hatches. Its feathers are still wet and it's exhausted. There are still two eggs left to hatch. The others are growing well. Athena brings in a lizard and carefully shares it out.
Athena shuffles down to keep them warm. Later that morning, Ash Hollow receives an unwelcome visitor. It's Tappy the barn owl from the nearby ash tree. Athena goes on the attack. Both kestrels team up to see this barn owl off. Six days after the first chick hatched, they're growing well. When she leaves, they stay in a huddle to keep each other warm. But there's still one egg that hasn't hatched. The sixth egg is unlikely to hatch now. And the smallest chick clambers over it to get a feed from mom. The hollow is full of life. But already, the difference in between the largest and smallest is clear.
Athena and Apollo will have their work cut out keeping their growing family fed.
