Kestrel!

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Stingray
Posts: 426
Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 9:45 pm
Location: Plantation/Florida
Martin Colony History: 2005 to present

Hello all,
I just got my first arrivals on Monday.
Two birds.

This morning as I stepped outside to see one just landing on a gourd a kestrel came after him!
The kestrel took off as I approached and the martin went into the gourd.
All's well that ends well, but I am surprised to see such a small bird of prey go after a martin.
Have a great season!


Plantation, Florida
PMCA member
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C.C.Martins
Posts: 3368
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
Location: Corpus Christi Tx
Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025- 40 pair. 181 fledged
HOSP:
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.

Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 49 PMCA excluder gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025: 51 pair, 216 fledged
PMCA member

Congrats!!!! Good thing you were there, came in with a bang for you. Smart martin there, bet it was thinking as it ducked in "dad, you got this?"

Hope that kestrel moves on, and wish you a great season!
Tom
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
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Stingray
Posts: 426
Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 9:45 pm
Location: Plantation/Florida
Martin Colony History: 2005 to present

Thanks Tom! 👍
Have a great season!


Plantation, Florida
PMCA member
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John Evans
Posts: 323
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:56 pm
Location: Cocoa Beach Florida

could it have possibly have been a Merlin? Very Similar but a bit larger. Saw one here yesterday Might be migrating back north. They would go after my birds I saw one kill

John
PMCA Member
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Stingray
Posts: 426
Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 9:45 pm
Location: Plantation/Florida
Martin Colony History: 2005 to present

John Evans wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 29, 2026 11:55 am
 could it have possibly have been a Merlin? Very Similar but a bit larger. Saw one here yesterday Might be migrating back north. They would go after my birds I saw one kill

John
Hello Tom,
Thanks for your response.
It was definitely a male kestrel.
I see them frequently in our neighborhood and hope to not see them near the martins again. I already have to deal with hawks, crows and starlings, but our little purple friends are well worth the effort.

:)
Have a great season!


Plantation, Florida
PMCA member
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mjfog
Posts: 443
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 3:40 pm
Location: Palm City, FL
Martin Colony History: 2018 will be my first try. 6 S&K B09s. 29 eggs - 8 fledged
2019 - 12 Troyer Horizontals with tunnels, 6 S&K B09s and 12 B011s all with tunnels. 43 eggs - 36 fledged
2020 - Rack 1 - 6 B011s, Rack 2 - 24 B011s, and Rack 3 - 24 Troyer Horizontals. All gourds have tunnels, porches and crescent/Conley 11 entrances; racks have predator guards. 161 eggs - 88 fledged.
2021 - 54 gourds-214 eggs, 184 hatched, 168 fledged.
2022 - 3 racks of 24 gourds. 363 eggs, 294 hatched, 278 fledged.
2023 - 3 racks of 24 gourds. 321 eggs, 276 hatched, 246 fledged.
2024 - 3 racks of 24 gourds. 330 eggs, 283 hatched, 250 fledged.
2025 - 3 racks of 24 gourds. 347 eggs, 281 hatched, 266 fledged.

Don't sweat sparrow hawks. They mostly eat bugs.
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Dave Reynolds
Posts: 2441
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
Martin Colony History: Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”..
2018 - 15 Pair, 36 Fledged
2019 - 26 Pair, 97 Fledged
2020 - 30 Pair, 137 Fledged
2021 - 30 Pair, 144 Fledged
2022 - 27 Pair, 125 Fledged
2023 - 31 Pair, 130 Fledged
2024 - 41 Pair, 198 Fledged
2025 - 44 Pair, 168 Fledged

Home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".
2019 - 1 Pair, 5 Fledged
2020 - 1 Pair, 4 Fledged
2021 - 8 Pair, 36 Fledged
2022 - 13 Pair, 46 Fledged
2023 - 16 Pair, 84 Fledged
2024 - 22 Pair, 104 Fledged
2025 - 28 Pair, 83 Fledged

…. Good thing you were there…. I had that happen to me last year, but it was a Cooper Hawk instead.. Lucky the Martin got away when I scared the Hawk…. Have a great year.. :grin:

Dave
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
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Stingray
Posts: 426
Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 9:45 pm
Location: Plantation/Florida
Martin Colony History: 2005 to present

Dave Reynolds wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 29, 2026 9:00 pm
 …. Good thing you were there…. I had that happen to me last year, but it was a Cooper Hawk instead.. Lucky the Martin got away when I scared the Hawk…. Have a great year.. :grin:

Dave
Thanks Dave.
Good timing on your part also!
Best to you. 👍
Have a great season!


Plantation, Florida
PMCA member
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mjfog
Posts: 443
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 3:40 pm
Location: Palm City, FL
Martin Colony History: 2018 will be my first try. 6 S&K B09s. 29 eggs - 8 fledged
2019 - 12 Troyer Horizontals with tunnels, 6 S&K B09s and 12 B011s all with tunnels. 43 eggs - 36 fledged
2020 - Rack 1 - 6 B011s, Rack 2 - 24 B011s, and Rack 3 - 24 Troyer Horizontals. All gourds have tunnels, porches and crescent/Conley 11 entrances; racks have predator guards. 161 eggs - 88 fledged.
2021 - 54 gourds-214 eggs, 184 hatched, 168 fledged.
2022 - 3 racks of 24 gourds. 363 eggs, 294 hatched, 278 fledged.
2023 - 3 racks of 24 gourds. 321 eggs, 276 hatched, 246 fledged.
2024 - 3 racks of 24 gourds. 330 eggs, 283 hatched, 250 fledged.
2025 - 3 racks of 24 gourds. 347 eggs, 281 hatched, 266 fledged.

Be nice to birds of prey; bang pots and pans, raise hell but don't be tempted to take them to "their great reward." Birds of prey are extremely interesting and like martins, gotta eat. Mike, Palm City
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