Sorry it's taken so long for this final update - meant to do this a while ago. I must also apologize for not having any pictures, but there is a good reason - all of the birds have left the nest!

The 4 American Kestrel fledglings made an absolute mess of the inside of the nesting box, but are now actively working the fields nearby. Two males and two females survived. Can't wait for next year - I have another good place to put up a nesting box that is just about guaranteed to be occupied.

The red-tailed hawk is also doing well. I climbed the tree a while back (the week of 7/10), hoping that it might be asleep or at least feeding in the nest. I was disappointed when I got to the nest as all I found was a very thick pile of hair and feathers filling the depression that once held the two chicks.

My disappointment did not last long, however, as I was treated to see the immature one about 80 feet away, perched on the very top branch of the next hickory tree in the row. The breeze was strong that day, and the youngster showed his inexperience, wobbling forward and backward in his attempt to keep his balance on the limb. Every now and then he would outstretch his wings, "making believe" that he was flying. It was a great sight to see that the bird made it off of the nest.

Hope you all enjoyed the pics - I learned a lot about the birds this year, hopefully I can plan on even better pics next year. Thanks for the replies from those of you that replied.
- Eric

Many thanks again for sharing your work. I keep the photos on my computer so I can always enjoy them !

Thanks for sharing. Your post and pics really inspired me..sakofan..Looking forward to next year.