KESTRELS should have a nice des res thanks to the efforts of a new environmental group.
Members of Chester-le-Street Action for a Sustainable Environment (Case) installed a nesting box for the birds on a tower at Lumley Castle.
The group was launched last month to help with nature conservation throughout Chester-le-Street.
Mike Keenlyside, Chester-le-Street District Council's Local Agenda 21 officer, said: "It is quite a significant project and quite a prestigious location.
"We know there are kestrels in the area and we want them to stay, we want to ensure they remain in the district.
"They a good indicator of the local eco-systems, they are part of the higher food chains."
Richard Graham is working with the group after winning an Earthwatch grant to work with scientists studying invertebrates in South Africa.
The group, which is part-funded by the district council and English Heritage, has also been putting up nesting boxes for barn owls and tree sparrows around the district.
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