A note from the patron of Dash and Lilly [R. I. P.]

Below, a note I received from Steve Watson, the owner of the Kestrel box outfitted with a video camera that readers of this website were following last spring. Remember Dash and Lilly? Last April Dash was killed by a sharp-shinned hawk while Lilly was still incubating the eggs [Nature red in tooth and claw] and Lilly couldn't hack it alone -- needed a mate to bring her food while keeping the eggs warm. Finally she abandoned the eggs.

In the photo, Dash and Lilly under their nestbox before their luck ran out.


Marie,

Well, the time has come, and we've shut down KestrelCam for this year. The website is still active,* with information on local goings-on and the status of our injured RTH, but without any nestbox camera imagery.
* http://druid21.home.comcast.net/

Just wanted to say thanks to you and all of the CP hawkwatchers who supported us and followed the story of Dash and Lilly, and who were saddened along with us at the loss of the little male kestrel.


KestrelCam will be up and running again in early 2006, hopefully with new and improved capabilities! We're certain we'll get another pair of kestrels, and with the new "sharp-shinned-proofed" box replete with pigeon spikes, we'll hope to have a successful clutch next year...and we'll hope for the same from Pale Male and Lola!

My regards to all of the CP hawk- and planet-watchers...thanks again for everything!

Ranger Steve