Red kites in Nottinghamshire

[nikolai_avenger]

Hello..

Just a quick question regarding sightings of Red Kites in Notts..

95% sure I saw a pair of red kites wheeling and soaring over the Trent and the field/woods beyond whilst I was walking Attenborough Nature Reserve on Sunday..

Has anyone else seen any in the area, are they known to have reached there?

Cheers..Nik.

[Tringa]

Haven't seen any at Attenborough, but in Feb this year Mrs Tringa saw two from the A14 between Kettering and the M1, which I guess is no more than 20miles away and kites are becoming more widespread, so I wouldn't be surprised.

Dave

[thebeard]

Sightings in notts are few and far between, and are almost certainly just birds passing through. I've not seen any here before, but they turn up occasionally.

I'm certain what you would have seen were buzzards, as there is a good population over the river from attenborough at clifton woods and branshill moor near barton in fabis. I go birding there quite often, and i see at least one buzzard there every time, there's also an escaped Red-tailed Hawk that has been resident there over the past few years.

Its a great area over there and well worth a visit, as it has a good variety of habitats, i've seen nearly 80 species there since i started going in october.

[Rage in Eden]

There've been reports of kites in the East Leake area (last year, or year before) and last year I saw one near Gotham.

[Sledge]

Loads around Oundle/Peterborough. Can't imagine why they wouldn't look for nicer surroundings nearby

[nikolai_avenger]

Hello..

Sorry, let me explain better: when I say '95%' certain, that is on BOTH birds, one was absolutely postiviely a red kite, forked tail, bowed wings, etc. The other I didn't get a good enough look at before it went out of view. I assumed that, since they seemed to be of comparable size and there did not seem to be any hostile behaviour toward each other, they were BOTH kites, not for example 1 x kite and 1 x buzzard.

We were at the Beeston Marina end of Attenborough, so the birds probably would have been over the woods near Clifton Hall I would imagine. We did also see a buzzard later that afternoon, at the Barton end of the reserve.

Always seems to be something to see at Attenborough but did not expect a red kite.

[thebeard]

did you see the little egret and black tailed godwit??? apparently there was a crane seen flying over there that day too!!!

[Tringa]

Sounds like you definitely spotted one Nik.

Have heard some folks that have difficultly telling kites from buzzards, though I don't understand it myself. I think a halfway good view is enough to be sure as kites have such clear characteristics.

Dave

[nikolai_avenger]

Will be going for another look this weekend, eyes to the skies.

Cheers. Nik.

[thebeard]

i was there today, not great weather for birding but the egrets are still there, no kites though!