Richard’s first and second kestrels, each called Kes, came from a nest in the ruins of Tankersley Old Hall, as did one of the kestrels that Richard trained for the film Kes. In real life Richard used a ladder to climb up to the nest in moonlight. In the film, David Bradley, who played Billy Casper, climbed the wall using pegs placed there by a rock climber, while Richard, standing on the platform of a hydraulic crane, put the young kestrel in the nest for Billy to take out.