Yesterday, I promised you an update on the Kestrels here in our sand dunes. I've been visiting the family every day for weeks now, and last weekend was no exception. Plenty of walks and bike rides added to my #workoutcomplete!

First: a sad note. Instead of the five kestrels that fledged the nest a week and a half ago, there are only four left now. The last few days, one has been missing. I've been hoping it was a coïncidence, but I've been at the Kestrel residence during feeding time in the evening for four days now, and the missing one hasn't shown up. I'm assuming she was grabbed by a fox. The same fox has been seen sitting on the bunker for a few mornings in a row, and these kestrel youngsters are very tame and curious about anything that moves when they are little.

But. Four of the kids are still very much alive. However, as you can see on the picture above, there seems to be some tension in the birdhouse. To explain the matter, I've put together another collage, shared in a reply. Starting with this photo first: what you see the kestrel on the left do, is called 'mantling'. Raptors do that sometimes: the bird is covering a prey with its wings to prevent other birds can steal it.

Was it necessary to do that? I mean: sisters can trust each other, right?

Stay tuned, 🦅🦅🦅🦅 because the saga continues in the reply below.