03/01/2025
Greetings, Woodvalers. If you were out and about Thursday afternoon, you might have seen us installing an American Kestrel nesting box (red, West side) on a utility pole along the driveway. These small raptors need our help with additional housing to grow their ranks in Frederick County . The American Kestrel only weighs a few ounces and is about the size of a Blue Jay. We have a near-perfect setting for Kestrels as they need large agricultural tracts and lots of small critters like mice and voles for their food source. Check, check.
We learned about The Farmland Raptor Program last year; it’s sponsored by the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP) and is working with the Frederick Bird Club (FBC) to significantly increase nesting sites for Barn Owls (Tyto alba) and American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) throughout Frederick County.
Both species of raptors prefer open or semi-open habitats especially farmland, cultivated fields, fallow fields, and grassland areas.
Keep your eyes peeled for additional nesting boxes and more small raptors around the farm.
