Red Kite

[gbb]

All the years ive been interested in birds, never saw a Red Kite, neither had my dad who's even more interested than i am.
After their introduction to the Rockingham area some years ago, they've slowly spread out further and further...and today, there's one circling above my urban estate on the edge of Peterborough. Maybe 50ft up, not a bit bothered by people, traffic etc.
On my rides toward Corby/Rockingham i see them all the time, sometimes 6 in one ride....but to see them this far is a really good sign they're doing well.
Just thought i'd share that....

 

[l4dva]

so did i....

 

[Hacienda71]

Don't see any kites yet but the buzzard population in Cheshire has exploded in the last ten years. See them all the time, I have been told when buzzards start doing well kites will follow so keep an eye out when cycling the Cheshire lanes.
Saw two buzzard wheeling over my urban back garden last summer, great to point them out to my two little ones.

 

[Soltydog]

I've only ever seen 1 in the wild & that was whilst cycling back from York last year. Lovely sight & one of the things that makes cycling so good, is seeing things like this that you wouldn't normally see

 

[upsidedown]

Saw loads of Red Kites when i was in riding down the Elan Valley a few weeks ago. At the campsite in Rhayader they were circling overhead. Beautiful birds.
The only time i'd seen them previously was around Oxford while driving down the M40.

 

[Rebel Ian]

Loads of red kites around the M4 between Bucks and Oxfordshire. Saw several this afternoon on a ride out towards Princes Risborough.

 

[mangaman]

Loads around the High Wycombe area - a lovely site and we saw a few 3 or 4 together. Fantastic.

 

[jonesy]

Loads above my back garden!

 

[Over The Hill]

I have lived facing open fields for 20 years. Up until about 5 years ago I had not seen a Kite. I had to look it up in my bird book when it first arrived.

They have become increasingly visible of late, so much so that I do not take too much notice.

Lovely sight today with two of them circling round and rising on a thermal. Their colours caught in the morning sun each time they came round. Rising with no effort.

Sparrow Hawk seems to be around a lot also.

Oddly (or perhaps not), we had rabbits in waste ground at the end of our garden for years but this is the first year we have not seen any.

 

[battered]

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.

 

[biggs682]

we always get them around the north side of wellingborough ,about 20 miles southish from rockingham , they are really majestic

 

[Fab Foodie]

Loads above my back garden!

Regular sight here too.
Notice more Buzzards and Sparrow Hawks on the outskirts of the town too. Fabulous.

 

[Alan Whicker]

Harewood House in Yorkshire's had a successful breeding programme, so they're pretty common round the Otley/Harrogate countryside. Always seem to see them when we visit the Mackenzie Smokehouse (great for bacon, by the way).

 

[Rhythm Thief]

All the years ive been interested in birds, never saw a Red Kite, neither had my dad who's even more interested than i am.
After their introduction to the Rockingham area some years ago, they've slowly spread out further and further...and today, there's one circling above my urban estate on the edge of Peterborough. Maybe 50ft up, not a bit bothered by people, traffic etc.
On my rides toward Corby/Rockingham i see them all the time, sometimes 6 in one ride....but to see them this far is a really good sign they're doing well.
Just thought i'd share that....

Virtually every time I drive down the M40 at High Wycombe - every night around 8pm, since you ask - I see two or three red kites. There must be quite a few in the area.

EDIT: reading the rest of the thread I see I'm not the first to have spotted them.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Virtually every time I drive down the M40 at High Wycombe - every night around 8pm, since you ask - I see two or three red kites. There must be quite a few in the area.

EDIT: reading the rest of the thread I see I'm not the first to have spotted them.

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.