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Worrying that there are people out there of this mentality with guns.
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they will be ok.
The red kites are doing well. Spread all the way across north northants and rutland, spreading slowly down the A1, and up and down the m40 from the chilterns. We now have some on the surrey heaths.
Magnificent creatures.
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My parents live near Thame, and the red kites are a regular, wonderful sight from their house, and from the nearby M40 between Oxford and Stokenchurch. I agree, even casual observation suggests their numbers have exploded in the last few years, but it's still sad to read the op's link.
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Possibly a Gamekeeper without sufficient knowledge. There's a lot of it about.
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The M40 corridor kites are certainly expanding their range - we even see them up as far as the M40/M42 junction.
I suspect some of their well being and numbers in that area is down to the regular feeding they get at a place the name of which escapes me at the moment.
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A sanctuary near me (Fineshade Wood between Stamford and Kettering) has plenty and they can be seen flying most times of the day. Watch the road and don't crash!
Last edited by: Perky Penguin on Sat 11 Sep 10 at 13:18
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I know fineshade well, have friends in collyweston.
The kites there are spreading all the way north into Rutland and oakham, and west past corby. Seen them east of stamford as well.
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Zero, and any others who visit the East Midlands - I can recommend the pub in Bulwick and also the shop next door which sells a fine range of home-made jams and pickles. There is also an excellent walk near/round the lake at Blatherwyke.
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The best food anywhere in that area is the Falcon at Fotheringhay.
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>> The best food anywhere in that area is the Falcon at Fotheringhay.
>>
The roast kite is sublime.
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The roast peasant pheasant is not bad either.
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On the straight smooth road through the forest we have to go through to get food and drink this afternoon, I passed two youngsters shovelling the remains of a large bird off the road. I didn't get a good look at it but from its size, plumage and general shape it looked very like some sort of kite or eagle.
My wife spotted some wild boar there the other day and it is said there are chanterelle mushrooms on the verges. But who needs them from there when they are so cheap in the Tuesday market.
Food and mimsing, tee hee. But I damn near hit a scooter kamikaze on a roundabout today. Must try harder.
:o}
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The great food pub in Bulwick, the Queens head, is shut down.
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Often see kites round here (Reading). Was running across a field with the dog when one took off not far in front of me - they're pretty big close up! Distinctive call as well.
Think there was a feature on the One Show about them - some cafe owner in the Oxford area puts out loads of raw meat for them, so there's a lot round there.
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When I went for a job interview in Aylesbury a couple of months back I saw several between the M40 junction and Waddesdon, made a change from the usual diet of Common Buzzards and Kestrels round my way.
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Programme on Red Kites on R4 yesterday, I caught some of it. What I recall was that they will eat almost anything and are happy with road-kill and dead animals, plus worms and grubs.
Also UK in the only place in Europe where they are not in decline; I haven't been to the reserve which is near me - Fineshade of the road between Stamford and Corby,yet Third biggest bird of prey in the UK BTW!
Last edited by: Perky Penguin on Fri 4 Mar 11 at 10:11
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In times past they were a pest, raiding middens and rubbish dumps. Saw 8 in the air along 4 miles of the A43 yesterday.
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>> Also UK in the only place in Europe where they are not in decline; I
>> haven't been to the reserve which is near me - Fineshade of the road between
>> Stamford and Corby,yet
Good woods, great for dog walking, lot of Deer, coffee shop, caravan site.
They are now doing bike hire on site, there is a lot of good gravel path and road in and around the wood,.
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The kites along the M40 corridor often play chicken with cars if there's a piece of roadkill on the carriageway. I had one swoop down directly into the lane ahead of my car, tear at a piece of dead something or other, and take off again with about two seconds to spare.
Beautiful birds though. And when you see them that close, you appreciate how big they are. I'd just rather not be the one who does the deed when they screw up their timing.
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Too many of them. A real problem for garden birds in the Chilterns. Yes, they do eat carrion, but no they do not eat carrion to the exclusion of everything else. People who feed them merely make the problem worse, there are far more red kites there than the ecosystem can possibly support.
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ISTR recall, from the radio 4 Prog I referred to earlier, that Kites prey on magpies, which in turn prey on bird fledglings, so overall not a totally bad thing. I may be wrong on this!
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>> there are far more red
>> kites there than the ecosystem can possibly support.
That's a bit hyperbolic, MM. If that were the case, the ecosystem would have collapsed. It hasn't.
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www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12634698
The red kite is now up to 1,800 breeding pairs - a "staggering turn around", says Madge - while there are thought to be around 40,000 buzzards soaring over the UK. Everyone from hikers to motorway drivers can now expect to see birds of prey regularly.
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40,000 buzzards are circling in... next thing to vultures, bit better at flying.... we've had it...
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I think MM means that people feeding them, rather than the eco-system, is what sustains them, and their numbers then become a problem for garden birds.
I've seen no evidence of that, though it might be true. I see lots of kites, often feeding on road kill. I can believe there is enough of that to keep them going though.
We have had the occasional chicken disappear mysteriously when there is no word of a fox around, and wondered if a kite has had it. Never seen it happen though.
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Could, or is there any evidence that, a kite could take a young lamb
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Kite? no idea. Not sure its big enough. A kite does not have huge wing power so i doubt it could have it away. Kites are one of the most aerodynamic of birds tho so soar very well.
I have a tale here, its true, but very disturbing.
A certain country dog show a year or two back. The entertainment was a display of falconry. Whilst the display was on, some silly woman got her new puppy out to show her friends. One of the large birds of prey being flown at the time spied said puppy, swooped in, and had it away up into the trees.
Apparently the pup squealed for some time as it was consumed, the dog show broke up with screams and tears, and the bird owner could not get his bird down for three days.
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"its true, but very disturbing."
Amazing a story like that didn't appear in the newspapers. An urban myth methinks
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>> Could, or is there any evidence that, a kite could take a young lamb
>>
Doubtful. When one takes off in front of you, they have an impressive wingspan, but they are not big heavy birds as compared with say a golden eagle. I'm not at all convinced that one could have had our chickens.
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Breeders with Puppies on open ground are very very wary of Buzzards here taking their 'offspring'. Never seen it, but don't doubt it could happen. My two Lab's were well guarded. Like to see a Bird take a pop at them now. Feathered mince anyone?
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kite down - CGNorwich
