This post is from May 30, 2024.

Well, good news concerning our one kestrel nest box with eggs that contains a camera.  29 days after incubation began, the first nestling arrived on May 21^st at 5:17 am.  The little tyke is shown here a few hours after emerging from its shell:

We were lucky Mom left for a short while so that we could get this photo

Here is Mom perhaps bringing in the first meal. Hard to believe the new born could handle food so soon

In this photo we can see all 4 nestlings

Interesting facts concerning American kestrel breeding and nesting biology:

Males locate and inspect potential nest cavities within his established territory, then escorts female to them; female apparently makes selection.

Incubation mostly by female. Male contribution varies with individuals.

Female helps young out of shell, which is either trampled into nest or eaten by female.

Nestlings display sparse white down that covers pinkish skin. Prominently protruding belly nearly naked. Hatchlings appear feeble, but can raise head, open bill, and utter peep vocalizations.

All brooding is done by female; begins immediately at hatching and by 8–10 d post-hatching, female terminates diurnal brooding, returning to cavity only at night to brood or during cool and/or inclement weather.

Feeding

Chicks beg for food within first 24 h post-hatching. For first 7–10 d, male is sole provider; there-after, both parents bring food. Female accounts for about 70% of feeding visits but both parents feed young, sometimes even together. Food is delivered from dawn to dusk. 

To defecate, nestlings generally back up, raise their tails, and squirt feces onto walls of cavity. Thus, feces dry on walls and remain off nestlings, although occasionally some young are splashed without subsequent harm. High ammonia content, easily detected in active nests by observers, serves to deter bacterial build-up.