Wildlife artist Robert E Fuller documented and narrated the hardwon love story between two kestrels during their first year of mating. At first, the male, Apollo, tried his very best to convince a female to mate with him by building a beautiful nest with the help of Fuller.
Apollo, the male, is young and inexperienced. This is his first every breeding season and he is alternately either a little over excited or utterly overwhelmed. It is usual for male kestrels to look for nest sites and then call out for a female, hoping she approves of his choice.
When an older female named Athena comes along, it’s love at first sight. Athena returns to get to know Apollo a bit more and a promising courtship blooms. Athena soon makes herself at home in Apollo’s nest and lays her eggs. Their relationship is a bit contentious at first, but eventually, the two settle into each other and become dedicated parents to the newly hatched chicks.
Athena, the female, is an older falcon and has possibly already raised chicks at least twice before. She has a no-nonsense approach to life and often gets impatient with Apollo’s haltering attempts to please.
This amazing footage was taken from inside the nest.
This film follows a kestrel couple as they overcome their early, awkward, courtship to become excellent parents to three kestrel chicks. Filmed using cameras hidden inside their nest box, Ash Hollow, this is the real life story of two very different kestrel characters.
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