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Welsh Kites breed in Herefordshire, '04 breeding figs & a breeding attempt in Devon (1 Viewer)

Chris Monk

Well-known member
Welsh Kites breed in Herefordshire, '04 breeding figs & a breeding attempt in Devon

Confirmation of Welsh Kites breeding in England for the first time, 2004
breeding figures for all the reintroduction areas and a breeding attempt
that failed in Devon are just a few highlights.

All the above and more can be found on the newly updated Welsh Kite Trust
web site at:

http://www.welshkitetrust.org/

Other news involves Kites from the Midlands release scheme breeding in
Rutland and in Cambridgeshire.
 
Breeding Red Kite in Herefordshire

From the Welsh Kite Trust web site:
http://www.welshkitetrust.org/

Breeding Red Kite in Herefordshire
By Chris Wells

In the last Issue of Boda Wennol Tony Cross reported that I had
confirmed a Red Kite nest in Herefordshire, the first for over a century. I
am very pleased to be able to report a bit more about this historic event
and to be able to provide a happy conclusion to this particular Kite Tale

During summer 2003, reports were received by the Trust of Red
Kites present in the north of the county. Despite visits by fieldworkers
nothing positive was obtained. However, a local resident, (who I shall call
"John" to avoid identification of the site) plotted all the various
sightings in the area. In spring 2004, John and I analysed his information
and by early April, after many periods of observation, we had identified an
area where we believed the nest to be located.



On 12th April, having agreed access conditions with the owner, I
finally found the nest, which was only visible from close range due to the
density of the woodland, situated about 50ft up in a Sitka Spruce tree. The
choice of nest tree was quite a surprise; there were many more traditional
deciduous trees that appeared to be more suitable.

A subsequent visit on 27th May confirmed that the adults were still
attending the nest but I was unable to confirm at this point that there were
chicks present.

At mid-day on 18th June, I saw an adult bird leave a tree near to
the Sitka Spruce. After watching for a while I saw a single chick stand up
briefly, stretch its wings then disappearing back down from view into the
safety of the nest. So history had been made, the Red Kite had breed
successfully in Herefordshire after a period of absence in excess of one
hundred and twenty five years. Not only was this a return of breeding Red
Kite to the county, these were the first pair of indigenous birds to breed
in England since the middle of the nineteenth century.

Such was the significance of this event that Tony Cross and I were
keen to record the event as fully as possible. We returned to the nest the
following day and Tony climbed the tree, photographing the chick in the nest
before ringing and tagging it for future monitoring. The chick, possibly a
female, weighed in at a respectable 925 grams and we estimated she was about
five weeks old. Worryingly there were the remains of several rats in the
nest but on close inspection the chick seemed perfectly fit and healthy.

On 16th July, John and I returned to the nest site where we observed
our little friend perched on a branch above the nest. It was almost fully
fledged but the feathers lacked the brightness of the adult birds. It was
certainly an "ugly duckling" compared to the parents. After a few minutes it
took to the wing and flew out of the wood where we observed it soaring
confidently above the nest site.



I cannot close this article without thanking the landowners
(who still wish to remain anonymous) for their co-operation. Without this
help the scientific data could not have been obtained. I must also thank
John, for without his help I may not have located the nest site in an area
of the county that previously I only visited infrequently. Needless to say I
shall return in spring 2005 to see if the birds nest again.

I am always grateful to receive reports of Red Kite in
Herefordshire or near its borders with other counties and can be contacted
through the Trust at HYPERLINK "mailto:[email protected]"
[email protected]
 
Chilterns 2004 breeding figures

From the Welsh Kite Trust web site: http://www.welshkitetrust.org/



Nigel Snell, Southern England Kite Group

After a slow start the group eventually found 215 pairs of which 205 were successful, rearing approximately 383 chicks. Most of these were in the core Chilterns area but this total also includes several outlying nests. There was a nest in Southern Hampshire for the second year running, two in Wiltshire (2 and 3 chicks reared) and the first in Sussex (2 chicks reared). There was also a confirmed nesting attempt in Devon which failed, unfortunately. A total of 103 chicks were fitted with wing-tags (yellow on both wings) including the two Sussex chicks which were also radio-tagged.

Second generation rodenticides continue to be a problem. Three nests in the Berkshire Downs failed this year. Usually these nests are sited close to pig farms or similar and although we couldn't prove more than one or two deaths the suggestion is that rat poison was to blame.

There is currently a roost of 29 birds north of Newbury and at the last count 14 of these were untagged juveniles which suggests that there are some undiscovered nests in the area.
Out of the 383 chicks reared, 20 were relocated to the reintroduction scheme in Gateshead and another 10 to the reintroduction scheme in Dumfries and Galloway.

Nigel Snell Co-ordinator Southern England Kite Group
 
Northern Scotland Report 2004

From the Welsh Kite Trust web site:
http://www.welshkitetrust.org/

Northern Scotland Report 2004
Brian Etheridge

For the third year in a row there was no increase in the number of breeding pairs in the North of Scotland re-introduction area - it remains at 35 pairs. From the first breeding attempt by a single pair in 1992 (1 chick reared) the population increased steadily until 1999 when it reached 30 breeding pairs (77 young reared).

The increase slowed down to 35 nesting pairs by 2002 (87 young reared) and has shown no further increase since then despite excellent productivity. It is believed that increased raptor persecution on surrounding grouse-moors has resulted in very poor survival of dispersing young kites (less than 10% are currently reaching breeding age of 2 years). The population is being maintained by high adult survival, which are largely resident.

The figures for 2004 are that 65 known nesting sites were checked of which 42 were found occupied (3 by single adults). One pair contained a one-year bird and failed to breed. 35 pairs laid eggs, 32 hatched young and 30 fledged a total of 80 young. The mean brood size per pair laying was a healthy 2.3. There were in fact 36 nesting attempts; one pair which lost the first clutch soon after laying (nest collapsed), re-laid in a new nest built only 20m from the lost one and successfully reared 2 chicks. These did not fledge until early August. This is the first successful relay attempt in North Scotland; a previous recorded attempt in 1997 failed.

Four other nests collapsed during use. One nest used continuously for 5 years fell out in March and the pair built a replacement nest in exactly the same spot. They went on to rear 3 young. Another one fell out just on the point of hatching and resulted in a total failure. The other two collapses occurred when the young were well feathered and the two broods of 2 and 3 took to the branches. All 5 young fledged successfully. It is believed these nests fell out due to the wet spring/summer weather and by the weight of water absorbed in the nest material of rags and sheep wool.

The 30 successful broods consisted of 11 of 2 young, 18 of 3 and 1 of 4. Forty-nine young were fitted with wing-tags and 20 of these had additional back-pack radio transmitters fitted in a bid to verify why so few young are surviving to adulthood. The sex ratio of the young birds tagged was skewed; 18 males (37%) and 31 females (63%).

By late September dispersing young had been recorded in the Central Scotland reintroduction area (5 birds) and in Southwest Scotland (2 birds) but most of the young remained in the breeding area. In mid October however, 2 of this year's chicks were killed by road traffic, both from the same brood. One was 50 km north of the nest site on the Black Isle and the other was in central Lewis, Outer Hebrides, 150 km NW. This bird is the first record of a Red Kite from the Western Isle chain since the 19th century! Another of this year's chicks was in Mid Wales at Gigrin Farm Red Kite Feeding Station.

Brian Etheridge - RSPB, North Scotland Red Kite Project Officer
 
The increase slowed down to 35 nesting pairs by 2002 (87 young reared) and has shown no further increase since then despite excellent productivity. It is believed that increased raptor persecution on surrounding grouse-moors has resulted in very poor survival of dispersing young kites (less than 10% are currently reaching breeding age of 2 years). The population is being maintained by high adult survival, which are largely resident

( taken from Chris Monks Northern Scotland report)


I find this very upsetting, why are these birds being persecuted ?
 
Last edited:
kas said:
I find this very upsetting, why are these birds being persecuted ?
Ignorance, bigotry and landlords' profit, I'm afraid. It's been rehearsed on other threads. Fortunately not all moor owners are anti-raptor, but many are.
 
I always thought Kites took small mammals and scavanged, I didnt think they would pose a threat to estates. Unlike the highly persecuted Hen Harrier.

Do they pose any sort of threat to the estates?
 
Hi kas. You're right. They will take birds, though, including crows, ducks and domestic fowl. Grouse are not among the prey families listed in BWP (too big maybe?) In any event they're no threat to any human interests that I can think of.
 
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