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Stow Maries Kestrel Box Cam

I am very excited to bring you some wonderful live cameras in the grounds of Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome, in Essex.

Working with Denis Stretton and Hikvision and  Birdsy cameras, we have experimented with a range of set-ups to try to bring some unique live cameras online. In Spring 2021, we filmed a kestrel pair raise their family in a nest box here. There are also barn owls, tawny owls and little owls breeding on site.

The grounds at Stow Maries provide perfect, unspoiled habitat for all manner of wildlife, due to the fact that it lay dormant for 100 years after WW1, allowing the wildlife to flourish. I have visited & photographed the amazing wildlife there on a number of occasions. The vast majority of the site is open grassland with woodland and although it has no statutory designation, it is home to many species of fauna and flora including all five species of British owls, a rarity in one location, as well as the 22 red listed birds, which have been sighted. Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome works in partnership with Natural England to improve and manage our ecology. As participants in their Entry and Higher level Stewardship schemes, the site work to carefully manage the site to get the very best habitats for the wildlife there.

New Kestrel Box cam coming soon. Cam moved to Little owl Box Interior

Kestrel Box 2023

Denis built this new kestrel box, after the success of the 2021 box. This time, we have mounted a Hikvision mini dome on both the outside and the inside. There are also lights on the inside that operate on a sensor, turning them off at night when the cams switch to IR.  We also have an internal camera which we will live stream if the kestrels take up residence t breed.

In 2022, the kestrels chose to nest in the old generator building on site. We are hoping they will return to this box and breed for 2023. Several species regularly visit this box, including jackdaws, stock doves and owls at night.

The You Tube playlist below will document what happens over this coming season.

YouTube Playlist 2022/23

We will upload a selection of the best clips from our cameras both inside and outside of the nest box. Thank you to Denis Stretton, who is doing most of the monitoring and uploading of clips from this site.

YouTube Playlist 2021/22

We will upload a selection of the best clips from our cameras both inside and outside of the nest box. Thank you to Denis Stretton, who is doing most of the monitoring and uploading of clips from this site.

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