Beginning with my earliest wanderings as a youth, I have had a special
admiration for the American Kestrel. In the last 30 years the numbers
of these magnificent little falcons have been in a very steady, steep
decline in Connecticut. There are many theories about why kestrel numbers
have declined so sharply, but the truth is that no one knows for sure
exactly why this is occurring. Instead of standing around bemoaning this
decline, I decided three years ago to try and actively work to begin rebuilding
local populations of the American Kestrel.
The two factors that seem to be most important when trying to rebuild
local populations are finding the appropriate habitat and providing quality
nest boxes for their use in those habitats. In 2008 I began knocking on
doors and put up 6 kestrel boxes very close to my home in Tolland, CT.
I did get birds to successfully fledge from two boxes, so, in 2009, I
increased the number of box placements to 17 boxes. As a way of more clearly
defining my work in this area, I founded the Northeast Connecticut Kestrel
Project at the end of the 2009 season with my good friend John Stake.
At the start of the 2010 breeding season, John and I will have 55 boxes
up in various locations throughout central and northeastern Connecticut.
The landowners who have so enthusiastically supported our work have been
crucial to our success. Without their permission to put boxes up on their
various properties, our project would have no future. Under the Project
Partners tab of this website you will find the names of all individuals,
organizations, and corporations who have granted us permission to erect
and maintain boxes on their property. I will attempt to keep this record
current as changes are made. If anyone out there knows of suitable locations
in northeastern Connecticut that hold promise as possible box locations,
please feel free to contact us at ctkestrels@gmail.com.
We
would like to close by thanking Art Gingert of West Cornwall for his constant
help and advice as our work has progressed. We are the new kids on the
block. For over 30 years, Art has been actively involved in helping rebuild
the local populations of kestrels in northwest Connecticut with a passion
and dedication that burns as brightly today as it did way back when. Thanks
Art.
Tom
Sayers
Tolland, CT
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