Red Kite in Suffolk?

[jennyl]

I was driving across the old Raydon airdrome (near Ipswich) and saw a large bird being mobbed by four smaller birds (rooks, I think). As I stopped the car, they flew straight over me and were close enough for me to see the distinctive white markings under the wing and a large tail on the large bird and am sure it must have been a Red Kite. Has anyone any knowledge of Red Kites in Suffolk?
Jennyl.

[jaguarondi]

Golly, I think you're unlucky if this is your first sigthing of a red kite in Suffolk. I've been seeing them over here in West Suffolk for about eight years. On a recent walk around Cowlinge (near Haverhill) I saw two together and I've seen one a few times at Wickhambrook too, the next village to the East. Initially I only saw about one a year, but more often now.

[Jonners]

Hi Jenny and welcome to WAB. I saw this on the RSPB Minsmere website a week or so ago: "March is a good month for seeing red kites at Minsmere". I saw one there last year, but unlike jaguarondi, I haven't seen any elsewhere in Suffolk... plenty of buzzards, but no red kites. However, I'm sure it would have been, so well done

[MikeS]

There were two Red Kites which oversummered near Sotterley a couple of years ago, but did not breed. The spasmodic sightings on the coast (e.g. Minsmere) are thought to be Scandinavian migrants, rather than dispersed UK birds. The nearest release area is Rockingham Forest near Northampton.

[jennyl]

I'm so pleased I wasn't mistaken. Having never seen one before, I couldn't quite believe it especially as there was a piece on them on the One Show that evening. Can you tell me more about the releases MikeS?

[MikeS]

Lots of information here on the RSPB website The RSPB: Conservation: Red kite
If you go towards Oxford on the M40, come off at J5, travel through Watlington and back on M40 at J6 you will see plenty. They are a common back-garden bird in Watlington!
I was a bit adrift in Northampton for the E.Midlands area. Rockingham Forest is between Stamford, Peterborough and Corby. One flew over as I last drove up the M1 near Peterborough in December.

[jennyl]

Many thanks for all the info.
Jenny

[jaguarondi]

I've seen a red kite too from the A1 between Huntingdon and Peterborough

[Hobjob]

There is a resident pair of peregrines only a few hundred yards away under the Orwell bridge ............

[maccyd82]

Just to resurrect this thread I just saw a red kite on the a14 just to the west of Bury St Edmunds. There are some sighting s last month of one near Lackford Lakes which is nearby.

I was so surprised to see it as I disnt think we had any records from around here - now I know different after a little research - still, it was very exciting!