Red Kite

Hi All
Just to say on this past Saturday afternoon I saw a Red Kite close by being harried by Rooks whilst driving Southwards along the A418 just outside Wing.
As Red Kites have done so well in the chilterns area I suppose this was not a rare siting as such but it is by far the furthest North from their stronghold that I have seen one (except back in 2007 when I saw a straggler at Potterspury Northants which may even have been from Rockingham Forest)
Can anyone please up date me with the latest range that Red Kites from the Chiltern area can be seen?
PEV

They seem to be spreading quite quickly now, they are certainly flourishing here, saw six of them circling yesterday afternoon.:)

Unfortunately I haven't been following reports for the rest of the country.

I was interested by this comment as we have them over our suburban landscape, so did a bit of Googling to see if I could find anything useful. I found one comment from 2006
"Yesterday I saw and 'snapped' a Red Kite near Barnstaple in North Devon - the tags on the birds wings indicate that it was a 2005 released bird from the chilterns. This means that the bird has wandered about 200 mile I guess. " I suppose that if tey are as successful as they seem to be then the youngsters will have to travel outwards quite a bit.


I also came across a site called Euring home which is the European Union for Bird Ringing. It's quite interesting because you can check which species migrate to your area and in which months of the year. To narrow it down from the UK yuo will nede to find out the latitude/longitude of where you are.

I saw a red kite up on the moors in County Durham last weekend - the first one we have seen in almost 15 years of visiting the area. It was great!

Sadly the Scottish Borders is still a desert for rare birds of prey - they big estates still take far too much pleasure in killing them :crying:

That's good news Ross, they are really spreading well and gaining some strong footholds.:)

I've read a few articles bout the killing of raptors in Scotland, shame the landowners can't believe that they don't do any harm.

A Golden Eagle was killed over Peebles way a couple of years back :014:

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | South of Scotland | Global outrage over eagle killing

And theres only one pair in the area :(

Fortunately a new partner turned up and a chick fledged last year :bananarock:

Ive seen Ospreys above our cottages in the last 2-3 years on the autumn migration - they stay for a couple of days in the trees on the hill opposite feeding down on the River Tweed. Thats been pretty special for us - last year I watched on circling for ages in the valley :)

That's good news. :)
I remember reading about the Golden Eagle too being poisoned

I only saw the Osprey this year for the first time and I got a shot of it in flight . Very small but I got it. It only stays for about 10-14 days here on the Exe estuary as it makes it's way north

The red kite is dispersing away from their core area of reintroduction in the Chilterns, and I receive many many sighting reports of them turning up in many locations.

Quite often, the non breeding young kites will have a 'wander', and will usually (although not always) return close to its natal location when ready to breed.

WRT to the OP, I see red kites with reasonable frequency in summer just down the road from Wing. I’m in an adjoining village.

And I’m afraid to say a reliable local farmer saw one take a perfectly alive new born lamb twin last season as the ewe was giving birth to the second. She was not pleased.

So much for red kites only scavenging.

i know in this area, wokingham and around they are found in the city, in peoples gardens which is a good sign of sucess...

I would've thought that a newborn lamb was way too heavy at 8lbs or more for a Red Kite to lift Simon, although they have a big wingspan, they are not huge birds. A Buzzard may have more of a chance, but even they would struggle.

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Originally Posted by rolf

I would've thought that a new born lamb was way too heavy at 8lbs or more for a Red Kite to lift Simon, although they have a big wingspan, they are not huge birds. A Buzzard may have more of a chance, but even they would struggle.

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The kites were nesting immediately behind the site. We talk to the farmer weekly. I have absolutely no reason to disbelieve the woman who we know well and wasn’t making it up. It was a red kite. It took the new born lamb. It wasn’t a Buzzard.

Well all I can say is that it must have been an uncommonly tiny lamb, which would make this an extremely rare occurrence.

A large red kite only weighs around 2lbs, would struggle to lift anything much heavier than itself and does not have the strength of a Buzzard, having difficulties opening up a lamb carcass.

Not saying it hasn't happened, but it will only happen in exceptional circumstances.

I'm with you there, Rolf!

It must have been a VERY rare occurrence indeed. In fact, I wonder if the farmer has really mis-identified the bird? Check what is says here, Simon; Red Kites - about these beautiful birds

Have YOU ever seen a Red Kite take a lamb? Could the lamb have been still-born and really tiny?

Here is a quote from a Chiltern site;
Red kites disappeared in England by the end of the nineteenth century because of human actions. They were killed in the belief that they attacked lambs and gamebirds (e.g. pheasants). In fact, they pose no threat to sheep farming or game rearing, although they will eat dead lambs and pheasants.

Could it have possibly been the 'After birth' that the Kite lifted?
As Rolf says A new born Lamb weighs between 8 and 15 lbs depending on the breed and a t Grigrin Farm

"Red kites and baby lambs.
Red kites do not look at baby lambs with anything but curiosity.

Given the suspicion of some that they would be a threat we decided to feed the kites in the very same field as our yearling ewes (the worst of mothers).

At no time did the kites cause us any worries about the safety of the new born lambs.
Ravens and Carrion crows were of course a different matter.."

Quoted from About Gigrin Farm

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Originally Posted by Catherine

I wonder if the farmer has really mis-identified the bird?

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No possibility whatsoever. As I say, they nest on the farm (and fly over my house). She saw what she saw.

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Originally Posted by Chocky

Could it have possibly been the 'After birth' that the Kite lifted?

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:-doh No. It was the first born of twin lambs and was alive.

Then we have to assume they were identical twin lambs which would mean only one after birth which would come away after the birth of both . Where, if non identical each afterbirth comes away after each lamb is borne.
How ever
'Kites feed mostly on carrion or road kill, but will attack small prey if necessary. Live prey include worms and insects, fledgling crows, gulls and pigeons, and rabbits, but nothing larger.'

Quoted from BBC - h2g2 - Red Kites - Birds of Prey - A1105552

Check out feeding

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Originally Posted by Chocky

How ever
'Kites feed mostly on carrion or road kill, but will attack small prey if necessary. Live prey include worms and insects, fledgling crows, gulls and pigeons, and rabbits, but nothing larger.'

Quoted from BBC - h2g2 - Red Kites - Birds of Prey - A1105552

Check out feeding

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Thanks, I already knew what the authoritative sources say. :bang:

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Originally Posted by Simon Gardner

Thanks, I already knew what the authoritative sources say. :bang:

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hI Simon
Please look at the informed evidence provided from several sources.

A Red Kite cannot possibly take (lift a new born lamb)
What the farmer saw was possibly a Red Kite lifting something, afterbirth maybe? as previously suggested. It is just not physically possible for a bird weighing 2lb to lift four times it's body weight!
It is this kind of rumour spread by farmers, gamekeepers etc that drove Red Kites almost to extiction in the past.
On holiday in Devon many years ago I was told by a farmer's wife that Crows regularily pecked out the eyes of Ewes so they would not see their lambs (not newborn ones) being lifted by other members of the Crows gang!!! (of course it's Rooks that go around in social groups - so much for the Farmer's wife expert witness qualities!) Unfortunatly some people get excited when they 'half see' something,add a pinch of exageration, stir with a good dose of imagination and there you go "it's true, I saw with my own eyes!"

I think the best indication of the Red Kite's is innocent is the evidence of the farmer on this thread who tested out the Red Kites predatory tendencies by encouraging them into a field of lambs with no threat or harm to the lambs what so ever.
If a predatory/scavenging bird could really lift four times it's weight, surely we would hear of Scottish gamekeepers being assaulted by Golden Eagles!

PEV

Well said, Ray!

Couldn't agree more!:thumbsup:

Thank you Ray.
I agree with Catherine. :thumbsup:

Again. She saw what she saw. I don’t happen to like it and I was certainly astonished but again, she saw what she saw. <sigh>

Then I'm sorry, but I think you're on your own there, Simon. We'll just have to accept that. :(

[Sorry also, but not sure if you are a male or female 'Simon'. Your Servalan avatar is confusing me! Are you a 'Blake's 7' fan? (Don't want to use 'his' if it should be 'her' when referring to your posts, and can't always repeat 'Simon';))]

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Originally Posted by Simon Gardner

Again. She saw what she saw. I don’t happen to like it and I was certainly astonished but again, she saw what she saw. <sigh>

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But you didn't see what she saw

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Originally Posted by Simon Gardner

Again. She saw what she saw. I don’t happen to like it and I was certainly astonished but again, she saw what she saw. <sigh>

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I'm astonished that you could believe that 'She saw what she saw'

Farmers will tell these stories so as to persecute the birds

Believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear.

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Originally Posted by Simon Gardner

Again. She saw what she saw. I don’t happen to like it and I was certainly astonished but again, she saw what she saw. <sigh>

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But you don't have to believe everything you hear Simon!
PEV

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simon Gardner

Again. She saw what she saw. I don’t happen to like it and I was certainly astonished but again, she saw what she saw. <sigh>

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Just wow. You should watch 'The Invention of Lying'. :bang: