American kestrel in a nestbox. Photo by Pat Ready

What does it take to monitor kestrel boxes and why do we do it?

American Kestrel numbers have been dropping dramatically over the past 40 years, especially in the Northeast & Eastern Canada and the decline has reached the Midwest as well. MAS has responded by putting up a network of boxes. This program will cover the plight of the American Kestrel and what volunteers for Madison Audubon are doing to help keep their numbers up in south-central Wisconsin.

Pat Ready, birdwatcher extraordinare. Photo provided by Pat Ready

Speaker: Pat Ready, Madison Audubon member and volunteer

Patrick Ready lives in Madison, WI and was a Back Yard Nature Specialist for the Wild Birds Unlimited store (retired). He has been the president of the Bluebird Restoration Assoc. of WI (BRAW) for the past 4 years. He maintains 6 bluebird trails in Dane County and has been monitoring nest boxes since 1999. He is also the editor of the Wisconsin Bluebird, the quarterly newsletter for BRAW. The past four years he has been involved with American Kestrel nest box monitoring for Madison Audubon in south-central Dane Co. He enjoys bird watching, photography, and kayaking in his spare time.