Red Kite

[mangaman]

Tere are very many in that area, it's not uncommon to see over a dozen on that stretch of road. It's very rare now not to see any.

I saw a football match at Adam's Park in Wycombe in January. It's quite rural and we had 3 red kites reeling around the whole 2nd half - even getting getting very close.

 

[mike-L]

Which would be well odd because they woudn't do that. They're scavengers not killers. Big wings and light bodies, soar about looking for dead or slow moving prey. I've watched the Chilterns population grow for 10 years and they are now all over Oxfordshire. Wonderful.

There are loads near Wetherby, they spend hours picking up thermals and updraghts on the hills there. I saw a couple the other week when I was out biking, they are big things close up. I imagine a rabbit wouldn't stand much of a chance if one of them dropped on it claws first from 30 ft.

 

[slugonabike]

Apparantly they are getting very common. I've only been lucky enough to see 1, in Gloucestershire, it was a real treat. We get loads of buzzards down here and I never get tired of seeing them. The kestrel population seems to have reduced a lot though.

 

[Mark Grant]

Red Kites were reintroduced into the M40 corridor several years ago and have thrived.
Like others, I always see them around the High Wycombe / Oxford stretch. Their distinctive tails make them easy to spot.

Mark.

 

[Yellow Fang]

They're nice to look at, but not to listen to. They make a eerie, screeching sound. I was out cycling once when I saw six in the sky, while a pair of crows were sitting unconcerned on a telephone line. It made me wonder what size prey they actually take and why they were eradicated in the first place.

 

[jonesy]

They're nice to look at, but not to listen to. They make a eerie, screeching sound. I was out cycling once when I saw six in the sky, while a pair of crows were sitting unconcerned on a telephone line. It made me wonder what size prey they actually take and why they were eradicated in the first place.

I'm a bit surprised at that reaction to their call!

Information on kites, and an example of their call, can be found on the RSPB website:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/r/redkite/index.aspx

I've also just found this website which says more about the history of the reintroduction programme and the reasons why they nearly became extinct. Unfortunately, agricultural practices have very often been informed by ignorance....

 

[slugonabike]

Yellow Fang, kites - like buzzards - are scavengers so I guess anything that can move is safe! I've certainly seen crows mobbing buzzards many times, so I guess your guy was pretty confident.

 

[Bromptonaut]

As others say the reintroduction around the Chilterns has been incredibly successful, loads around the M40 towards Wycombe.

How fast do they actually spread and establish new breeding sites?

Not personally seen any round here (by J16 of the M1) but there have been a few reports in the village mag's Nature Notes. These will be from Rockingham but I'm wondering how long before we can expect them to appear regularly?

When we moved up here in 1990 Buzzards were rare; now they don't warrant a second glance.

 

[Proto]

Loads above my back garden!

And mine. I've seen as many as twenty in one go, circling above our house (Thame). Our cat was looking a bit nervous.

Regarding buzzard, a gamekeeper I know told me that buzzards have been 'encouraged' (whatever that means)where Red Kites are being reintroduced. The Buzzards kill lots of things and the Red Kites feed off the scraps. Seems dubious, but that is what he said, and he pointed out that Buzzards had been a rarity in the Chilterns, but were now much more common.

 

[Dave5N]

[QUOTE 1095490"]
I thought this wasc going to be about the bike shop.
[/quote]


Me too.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

Loads of Buzzards down here, but when we visit my partner's family in Reading, I am amazed by the numbers of Red Kites, and how low they sweep above the suburban gardens, absolutley fantastic sight.

 

[CharlieB]

Here in the Chilterns, we rarely see any garden birds, did the one hour garden bird watch for RSPB in January and counted zero, but there's always a Red Kite or two or three circling above the garden.

 

[Paulus]

And mine. I've seen as many as twenty in one go, circling above our house (Thame). Our cat was looking a bit nervous.

Regarding buzzard, a gamekeeper I know told me that buzzards have been 'encouraged' (whatever that means)where Red Kites are being reintroduced. The Buzzards kill lots of things and the Red Kites feed off the scraps. Seems dubious, but that is what he said, and he pointed out that Buzzards had been a rarity in the Chilterns, but were now much more common.

This is more or less correct. Buzzards are top preditors and wil kill others to eat. Red kites are scavengers and will pick up the remains of dead creatures either killed by others or by natural causes.

 

[biggs682]

just driven back from corby pass fermyn woods , we got within 10 feet of a red kite just as it took off from lunching on some road kill , it was huge and i mean huge but magnificent at the same time

 

[Gareth]

A fortnight ago, I got really lucky when I was working on one of projects in the garden: I just happened to have the camera in my hand at the time.
Our house backs on to Lionswood here in Norwich and this is the first and only Red Kite that I have seen in Norfolk so far: