Red Kite re-introduction

[Roy C]

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 chillterns. This means that the bird has wandered about 200 mile I guess. Is this unusual as I read somewhere that these re-introduced birds do not roam far from the release place.

Roy C

[eeyore]

They do spread quite a way, although kites are generally territorial and non migratory the young of each pair will spread out to find their own territories, where they are reintroduced they often spread out in a similar way for the same purpose. There is also quite a lot of evidence that they are following motorways and feeding off roadkill, so i guess your bird went down the M4 then down the M5

[Helo]

The young non-breeding kites will often go 'walk about', essentially meaning you can see these birds almost anywhere.

However, a lot of young birds will remain close to their natal site, and many of the young ones that do disperse, will quite often return to their natal area to breed.

Roadkill, which forms part of their diet is usually taken from the small country lanes in and around the Chilterns. Kites that are seen above the M40 etc, are usually flying above quite often because the motorway is running parallel to a field or small country lane, where they can scavenge for food.

Kites do not hold an exclusive territory, but are generally territorial only within the immediate nesting area.

[Alison Rowe]

Originally Posted by Roy C

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 chillterns. This means that the bird has wandered about 200 mile I guess. Is this unusual as I read somewhere that these re-introduced birds do not roam far from the release place.

Roy C

We are about 40 miles south of Barnstaple and I saw a Red Kite today - yours I wonder?

[Landbridge]

I was introducing a group of 10 children from Churchfields Primary School’s science extension group – to the joys of wildlife recording in the local surroundings. A child then asked me if we were likely to see anything more unusual and, bearing in mind this is a London site, I replied that it was unlikely. At this point I heard an unfamiliar whistle coming from above and turned around to find two children pointing upwards saying, “Wow, what’s that!”
To cut a long story short, it was a very definite red kite which circled for a good 10 minutes at heights which seemed to vary from about 30 to 50 feet. The sighting was over Dorset Road allotments, Beckenham, in the London Borough of Bromley. When we lost sight of the kite it was heading towards South Norwood country Park. I learned later that the Kite had been reported from this park four hours before our sighting.
It would be nice to have some kind of feedback that could be given to the children on how usual or unusual such a sighting is especially as their sighting seems to have turned them into mad keen birdwatchers!

I believe that in the Middle Ages the red kite was quite a common sight in London. Be nice to think that this could be a first step in the revival of that situation!

[nigel_b]

Originally Posted by eeyore

...so i guess your bird went down the M4 then down the M5

darn thats another new keyboard I need.

[Astra]

Originally Posted by Landbridge

When we lost sight of the kite it was heading towards South Norwood country Park. I learned later that the Kite had been reported from this park four hours before our sighting.
It would be nice to have some kind of feedback that could be given to the children on how usual or unusual such a sighting is especially as their sighting seems to have turned them into mad keen birdwatchers!

I was at a talk on Wednesday given by John Birkett from Croydon RSPB.
He said that a Red Kite had been spotted quite a few times now over South Norwood CP.
There have also been several sightings of a Red Kite over Beddington Sewage farm which is about 4 miles SW of there (recorded on Johnny Allen's website http://www.diporglory.co.uk/page2.html) so keep looking up and you may see one again soon!