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Friends of Red Kites - in the North East of England (1 Viewer)

2011 chicks


24 chicks were definitely recorded, ringed or tagged. This is the same number as last year.

There are bound to be others not yet located. As they fledge, numbers hopefully should increase.

Priestfield did well, with two nests, with three and two chicks respectively.

The Paddock Hill nest, which can be seen from Kite Hill at Kitewatch had triplets - plus what looks like a toy koala bear's head in the nest!!


June,

It looks like 2011 has been a productive year for chicks per nest. Let's hope for an easier Winter this year.
 

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"A Community inspired by Red Kites in Gateshead's Derwent Valley"

Go to http://www.ourgateshead.org/

Enjoy the pdf Presentation about the impact of the Red Kites on the community in the region.

It was good to see the young Kites flying around, the youngest and un-tagged Kite was the first to fly off with one of the adults while the 2 tagged young stayed around the nest site. They looked very healthy and could fly with ease, landing was a different matter.

You could see a change in the adults who were away for long periods as they are probably trying to get the young to follow them out of the valley in the search of food. Even when the adults did return they made sure that the young had to go to them for food.

I just hope that we have a good winter so that we don’t lose any of our Kite population due to the weather.
 
Test flight!


Mick kindly sent us this photo of one of the fledglings!

Although the official Kitewatch has ended, you can still get wonderful views of the Red Kite family from the Nine Arches Viaduct and Kite Hill.





It was good to see the young Kites flying around, the youngest and un-tagged Kite was the first to fly off with one of the adults while the 2 tagged young stayed around the nest site. They looked very healthy and could fly with ease, landing was a different matter.

You could see a change in the adults who were away for long periods as they are probably trying to get the young to follow them out of the valley in the search of food. Even when the adults did return they made sure that the young had to go to them for food.

I just hope that we have a good winter so that we don’t lose any of our Kite population due to the weather.
 

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Red Kite Walk at Gibside

Another opportunity to see our Red Kites and possibly some of this year's fledglings!
Friends of Red Kites will escort the group and help to make this an informative and enjoyable occasion.
Details in the accompanying poster................
 

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New programme of Health Walks run by Friends of Red Kites

Another chance to get out and enjoy a 3-mile amble through the lower Derwent Valley, guided by Volunteers of Friends of Red Kites.
You don't have to be a member, and the walks are free!!
If you're looking for gentle exercise and a chance to meet like-minded people, these walks might be just the ticket!
 

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Friends of Red Kites supporting other Groups

Recently we have attended the Friends of Ashington Woods Festival and the Chopwell Woods Firefighters' Day.

On both occasions, it was a chance to meet people outside our core area and encourage folk to come to the Derwent Country Walk Park and enjoy the fauna and flora.


If your Group would like similar support for a special Event, within reasonable travelling distance, please get in touch via our website Webmail :-

www.friendsofredkites.org.uk
 

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Red Kite in lower Derwent Valley

Paul Ratcliffe took this lovely capture of one of the red kites in the core area near Rowlands Gill.


The second photo shows some of our walkers enjoying this week's Health Walk in the same area.


If you are free on Mondays, why not come along and join our walking group?
You'd be made very welcome, and, like Paul, you might see one of our majestic kites flying above your head :)
 

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A Red Kite Sculpture for Whickham's Hermitage Garden

Denise Johnson is a local sculptor. She has created and donated her sculpture of a Red Kite to the Hermitage Garden in Whickham.

For more about this go to our website www.friendsofredkites.org.uk
 

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Roost Watch for Friends of Prudhoe Woods

Friends of Red Kites organised a Roost watch, by request, for the Friends of Prudhoe Woods (FoPW) on Wednesday 13th October 2011.

12 FoPW members assembled at 17.00 at Winlaton Mill car park and, accompanied by three FoRK team members, walked through Derwenthaugh Park to the nine arches viaduct where we had super views of up to nine kites circling before coming into roost at Paddock Hill wood.

We plan to hold a similar roost watch which will be open to the general public on 4th February 2012.

Image courtesy of Harold Dobson, Secretary of Friends of Red Kites
 

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Friends of Red Kites Coastal Walk October 2011

A group of Health Walkers enjoyed a second Coastal Walk.
They began south of the Tyne and crossed on the ferry before making their way via the Fish Quay to the harbour mouth.

It was a fine day and they saw a number of interesting birds as they walked.


Here are a few images - see the whole account on our website:
www.friendsofredkites.org.uk
 

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Information Event Hexham

Friends of Red Kites Information Event

SATURDAY, 12th NOVEMBER 2011

10a.m. - 2.00p.m. at Queen's Hall, Hexham

Come along and learn about our Tynedale Initiative.

Everyone is welcome
 
Friends of Red Kites supporting National Trust at Gibside

Details in the poster below........................



National Trust members especially welcome!
 

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Do you know if any of your kites get down to Spain in the winter? This video shows some of this year's new arrivals near Lleida, Spain. Hope you like it, and if anybody has any info on the extent of the Anglo-Spanish Red Kite coonection I'd like to hear it!

http://youtu.be/PsTOofbJneQ

Thanks!

Steve
 


Hi Steve,
It is not beyond the bounds of probability or possibility for kites to travel, although the UK birds are said not to be migrants in principle.
Keep your eyes open for any tags and if you're able to photograph a kite with legible tags (even by zooming in on a screen) you'd stand a good chance of identifying the individual bird.

Since some of the first re-introduced kites came from Spain, it wouldn't surprise me if any felt drawn to return to their ancestral lands!!

The chart on this page will give you details:
http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page10.htm

Of course the more southerly Kite centres - Rockingham, Chilterns, and Wales are more likely to know...................
What about contacting Gigrin in mid-Wales?


Do you know if any of your kites get down to Spain in the winter? This video shows some of this year's new arrivals near Lleida, Spain. Hope you like it, and if anybody has any info on the extent of the Anglo-Spanish Red Kite coonection I'd like to hear it!

http://youtu.be/PsTOofbJneQ

Thanks!

Steve
 
Many thanks June. I remember videoing a tagged Red Kite last year, I'll have to check to see if I can get any info from the tags. Who might be interested if I do?

Steve
 

If by any chance you were to see evidence of one of our kites, with a pink tag on the left wing and a different year colour on its right wing, we should be very keen to know as we are shortly going to be putting on our website the individual Kite Histories, adding any new info as we receive it.

Here is our contact page http://[URL="http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page18.htm"]www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page18.htm[/URL]


Otherwise using our tag colour chart, you'd be able to locate the relevant Kite group to whom you could send information. It could be exciting!!

Many thanks June. I remember videoing a tagged Red Kite last year, I'll have to check to see if I can get any info from the tags. Who might be interested if I do?

Steve
 
Tesco donates £100 to Friends of Red Kites

Tesco, in Rowlands Gill, has donated a hundred pounds to our Friends group.In the photo below we see the Store Manager, Ajay Vahanda, presenting the cheque to Judy Summerson, Membership Secretary and Allan Withrington, Protocols and Policies.


Image courtesy of Harold Dobson, Secretary
 

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