A bit of a saga down at Pagham Harbour

In March we put our kestrel box up and were pleased to see the kestrels immediately took an interest, although it was too early for them to get settled.

In the meantime, a pair of jackdaws also liked the look of this abode, deciding they would move in instead.

The kestrels were not happy with that idea and after much scuffling, saw the jackdaws off.

The next day a tawny owl sat staring back at us!

The kestrels didn’t like this interloper either, but despite remonstrating outside, the owl simply dozed unimpressed with their protests on the doorstep.

A couple of days later the tawny owl was gone and a squirrel had moved in, bringing in lots of twigs, leaves and moss.

While the squirrel was away, the kestrels returned only to find that with all the squirrel’s furniture inside, they couldn’t get in!

The jackdaws, members of the corvid family and renowned for their intelligence, seized upon this window of opportunity.

They promptly set about removing some of the twigs and jumping up and down on the rest until they had flattened and shaped the squirrel’s furnishings into something they considered more comfortable – a bit like watching children jump up and down on a bed!

The infuriated squirrel returned, ousting the jackdaws once again.

The conclusion of this dramatic saga is that the kestrels, getting evermore impatient with the need to get on with breeding, have actually reclaimed their high-rise des-res and are now incubating eggs.

You can follow the action, along with sparrows and blue tits, both with hungry chicks, at our visitor centre.

• RSPB Pagham Harbour can be found just south of Sidlesham on Selsey Road. The visitor centre is open daily from 10am-4pm. For more information about the nature reserve visit rspb. org.uk/paghamharbour