[Helen O]

For the past couple of weeks, I have been taking care of 14 kite chicks, destined for Aberdeen.

The birds have kept me very busy indeed, with feeding them and keeping a close eye on them all. To help me monitor the birds, a IR camera with a
3.6mm lens was installed in the holding pen, which is capable of capturing images throughout the hours of darkness.

I have chosen a few clips and edited them down to a manageable couple of mins each, and posted them onto the website. Many more clips will be posted as and when....

In the meantime, here's a pic of some of the chicks.

[Capercaillie71]

Thanks for posting. Looking forward to seeing them in the skies here later in the year. Earlier in the spring I saw one of last year's releases only half a mile from my house.

[Ben Nevis]

Good luck with the project.A welcome addition to the birds already here,I may add.

[Helen O]

Believe me, you're going to have some real characters coming up there! :)

[Helen O]

A quick update.

I have more or less finished going through the footage, and there are now 15 video clips to view on the website, including one of a kite falling off its perch in the middle of the night (!) one of them being fed, and several where a kite 'jumps' onto the back of another.

The birds have now departed for Aberdeen.

[Helen O]

Couple of pics of the 'chicks'.

More info about how the Aberdeen kites are progressing on the RSPB blog page:

http://blogs.rspb.org.uk/aberdeenred...e/2008/07.aspx

[Andy in West Oz]

Great stuff, Helen. Well done.