Webcam Gives Close-Up Look At A Falcon Family

A webcam inside an American kestrel nestbox  monitored by Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Berks County is giving everyone with an internet connection a bird's eye look at the family life of falcons.

To date, a female has laid four eggs and is beginning to spend more time in the box.

"This year we're building on Hawk Mountain's own long-term research on the kestrel and providing a kestrel curricula for school teachers," says director of education Erin Brown. "We hosted a professional workshop in March and intend to host it again next year for those educators who want more information."

Teachers can also contact brown@hawkmountain.org and mark their calendars for other upcoming workshops for professional educators this summer: Pennsylvania Songbirds on May 15, Pennsylvania Biodiversity on June 18, and Wild about Raptors on August 10.

All workshops cost just $5, are approved for Act 48 hours, and can be reserved by calling 610-756-6000 x108.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has been studying the breeding, wintering and migratory habits of American kestrels for more than 50 years. Today more than 200 kestrel nestboxes have been placed within a 25-mile radius of Hawk Mountain, and each year, the boxes are cleaned and monitored for signs of activity. If successful, nestlings are banded at two weeks of age.

For more information, visit the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary website.