Hi all,

As a follow-on to the posts yesterday about a possible nesting pair of American Kestrel (AMKE) in Redmond, I have some additional info. Having seen them on a substation line yesterday, I came to work today and looked out into the greenbelt from my office - and there sat the two birds, who have been there now for at least an hour. An image (unfortunately a poor one due to bad light and not my best camera gear, but at least it documents the situation) can be found at http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=3666377&cat=38975.

Even more interesting, the female just investigated a recently-excavated but apparently not yet occupied Northern Flicker (NOFL) cavity in a snag visible from my office. Although the NOFL work might go for naught, NOFL's are much more common on the eastside than AMKE's so I'm rooting for the AMKE's to decide the cavity is suitable. The bird did not from what I could see enter the whole way yet. However, she hung onto the entrance for some time and duck about 2/3 of her body into the cavity several times, then flew to a nearby tree and sat. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Yesterday, I contacted a biologist at PSE to try to get official approval to hang a kestrel-sized nestbox on one of their wood poles on a marshy meadow behind my office (perhaps 100 yards from the woodlot where I've seen the pair). Given these developments, I'm tempted to hang the box first and beg forgiveness later in case the pair decides the natural cavity isn't suitable. I'm also tempted to hang another box in the woodlot where the natural snag is on another tree away from the natural cavity snag. The woodlot is a City of Redmond buffer area, so I intend to contact a biologist at the city today as well - although again the temptation is to assume encouraging nesting by a relatively uncommon species is something a biologist wouldn't object to. If anyone has more experience than me in this sort of situation, please contact me off-list with any advice you'd like to offer.

If I do get the OK for either or both locations and anyone is interested in helping hang the box, my bum knee would be most appreciative. I would spring for the nestboxes - in fact I have one (at home) that would be suitable and know where I can obtain another.

Comments and suggestions are welcome, of course!

John Tubbs
Snoqualmie, WA
johntubbs at comcast.net
www.tubbsphoto.com