2012 Kestrel Chicks Day 26 A lot of wing flapping, tail bobbing and preening is happening today in the nestbox as the chicks are getting antsy about leaving. The step that was installed in this year’s new nestbox underneath the opening as an upgrade appears to get a lot of use as the chicks jockey into position on it to get a look at the world outside. The 50% larger floor area of the nestbox this year (due to the approximately 2" increase in length and width) appears to have a positive effect on the condition of the chick’s wings as the wings appear to not be making as much contact with the nestbox walls as last year, when the box was made of the "standard nestbox," recommended 1"x10" boards. My theory, yet to be proven, is that the increased nestbox size will produce stronger wings due to better exercise at a fuller wing extension, and more efficient wings due to less wingtip damage. Both of these factors have the potential to increase fledgling survival rates due to less "ground time" and predator exposure. True, it will add some cost to the nestbox, but knowing that the Kestrels benefit from the larger size may cause some nestbox buiders to reconsider their construction plans. Yesterday I had to do a cleaning of the camera lens to remove a minimal amount of "poop splatter" and while the nestbox was lowered, I had the chicks out for a weighing. Their wingtips were in exceptionally good condition in comparison to what I observed last year, they were strong and feisty <b>…</b>
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