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

June Atkinson · Oct 21, 2012

Mickr said:
I was at the roost site tonight and watched up to 50 Red Kites assembling and a lad who had been at the viaduct before me thought that he'd seen up to 60 which I think is probably slightly high and a case of counting the same bird twice. I've never seen so many Kites at one time in my life, they were everywhere and I could only see 3 Kites that were tagged. It was probably the most amazing wildlife spectacular that I've ever seen.

I counted 24 Kites fly into the roost and could see 13 Kites on a pylon, 3 Kites in a tree below the pylon and various Kites which were uncountable because they kept coming and going. They were all over at times, the sky was full of them.

If anybody is close enough to go and see them then I would suggest that they do so, probably between 15:30 and 18:00.

I don’t know what part the weather played tonight because it was relatively warm and the Kites looked as if they loved it, I hope this high number isn’t a 1 off.

The only recognisable Kite was WT43.

The roost reminded me of when I’ve seen fruit bats on TV once they had all moved into the trees which are being used as the roost. Every couple of minutes a Kite would fly out and then go back in and the noise was fantastic. I had my camera with me but it was simply too dark to get anything and the sun was behind the Kites which made matters worse.

What a brilliant experience you had, Mick! WT 43 is, of course Swift, adopted by Whitemere Community Primary School, Gateshead. She bred with WT15 Red Philip, adopted by St Philip Neri RC Primary School, Dunston, Gateshead. They had a single chick, F3.

To have such a high number is far better than anything seen recently. Would you please send this report to Ken, for the database. He will be pleased at your roost count, which exceeds what was seen last Monday.

June Atkinson · Oct 26, 2012

Giant kite at Bowes Museum

Friends of Red Kites were at Bowes Museum on Tuesday 23rd October.

Our giant mosaic kite was built in front of the iconic chateau of Bowes.

Our next location will be St. Mary's Island.

Go to www.friendsofredkites.org.uk

for more details.

June Atkinson · Oct 31, 2012

Have a cuppa and watch the kites!

Yesterday we went to Lintzford Garden Centre at tea-time. I took the photograph below showing eight kites enjoying the thermals.

Staff said they see about twelve at this time, which would suggest that the kites are congregating before heading off towards their Roost at the Nine Arches Viaduct.

Why not go and enjoy a cuppa and the kites as they gather?

www.friendsofredkites.org.uk

Chris B · Oct 31, 2012

Was at the viaduct yesterday afternoon and saw a similar sight with 11 kites.

Mickr · Nov 1, 2012

Chris B said:
Was at the viaduct yesterday afternoon and saw a similar sight with 11 kites.

The viaduct should provide a real spectacle for the next 4 months or so for about the last 2 hours of daylight, the last hour probably being the best. From what I've seen, the winter roost and territorial displays are the two things not to miss. February, March and April are usually the best months for territorial displays but this depends on the weather. We had a really warm spell last spring which seemed to kick everything off early.

Dawn and just after might also be worth seeing and is something I might try to do this weekend if the mornings are clear.

June Atkinson · Nov 1, 2012

Mickr said:
The viaduct should provide a real spectacle for the next 4 months or so for about the last 2 hours of daylight, the last hour probably being the best. From what I've seen, the winter roost and territorial displays are the two things not to miss. February, March and April are usually the best months for territorial displays but this depends on the weather. We had a really warm spell last spring which seemed to kick everything off early.

Dawn and just after might also be worth seeing and is something I might try to do this weekend if the mornings are clear.

We are definitely seeing more of the kites, which is heartening after a rather quiet period.
We have also received news of a family of three red kites above Stanhope.
It will be interesting to find out if they are, in fact, the trio we monitored at Muggleswick. Ken, our Chairman and Kite Officer
will check this out as he lives in Barnard Castle. Maybe it's too far for you to go, Mick?

Mickr · Nov 1, 2012

June Atkinson said:
We are definitely seeing more of the kites, which is heartening after a rather quiet period.
We have also received news of a family of three red kites above Stanhope.
It will be interesting to find out if they are, in fact, the trio we monitored at Muggleswick. Ken, our Chairman and Kite Officer
will check this out as he lives in Barnard Castle. Maybe it's too far for you to go, Mick?

Stanhope isn't far from Muggleswick so it could easily be the same Kites, I might try to have a look over at the weekend. Do you know where and how often they are seen?

June Atkinson · Nov 1, 2012

Mickr said:
Stanhope isn't far from Muggleswick so it could easily be the same Kites, I might try to have a look over at the weekend. Do you know where and how often they are seen?

Here's the last message..................
Many cars were pulling over to watch. The birds were only yards from the road to begin with enjoying the wind and soaring up and down.

I didn't realise they are so big! Must have been 5 foot across wingspan.

I've been to Orkney and Shetland recently but haven't seen anything as impressive as this. Not much in the way of woodland up on Stanhope Moor so they must have travelled some way.

I've asked Neil to let me have a map reference. There's an awful lot of moor around Stanhope!!

June Atkinson · Nov 3, 2012

Red Kite Homes becomes a Gold Corporate Member of Friends of Red Kites

Friends of Red Kites are pleased to announce that David Routledge, who has set up the on-line Estate Agency Red Kite Homes, is now a Corporate member of FoRK.

In the photo below, two of our volunteers, Harold Dobson and Allan Withrington joined me in presenting David with his framed Gold Certificate.

The full story is here:http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page3.htm

June Atkinson · Nov 10, 2012

Roost Watch at Nine Arches

Why not come to one of the Roost Watches.
Our numbers already seen have been encouraging - 46 and counting!

Here is a poster giving details.
Winlaton car park, the starting point, is a 20 min walk from the viaduct.

Seeing the kites drifting in individually, or coming in like mini-squadrons is not to be missed. If you come, please introduce yourself to our Vols who will be there.
I hope to be there as well. I'm hoping to see Wing tag C2, which has been seen recently; it is my Avatar - adopted by East Gateshead Primary School, Roman Road, and called Centurion! :t:

Check the website if the weather is uncertain. www.friendsofredkites.org.uk

Mickr · Nov 11, 2012

WT15 photographed at the roost and one of 51 which were counted leaving the roost on Saturday morning.

June Atkinson · Nov 11, 2012

Mickr said:
WT15 photographed at the roost and one of 51 which were counted leaving the roost on Saturday morning.

What time do you have to be on the Viaduct to see the kites waking up and flying around, Mick?
They can be very agile, but they can also be fairly laid back unless they need breakfast!

Mickr · Nov 11, 2012

June Atkinson said:
What time do you have to be on the Viaduct to see the kites waking up and flying around, Mick?
They can be very agile, but they can also be fairly laid back unless they need breakfast!

It was 6:55 when I arrived and I was still too late as the first kite was flying off and it was still very dark, oh and it was freezing cold with frost on the ground. I thought that I would be the only person about, I wasn't. Somebody had been at the viaduct since 6:30 and he confimed that the Kite flying off at 6:55 was the first.

The Kites were coming out of the trees at Paddock Hill, they were coming out of the trees to the West of the viaduct and they were coming out of Gibside.

Some came out of the trees and left the area while others headed over to the fields around Hollinside Manor before coming back to the roost and settling higher up on a pylon at the top of Paddock Hill.

I expected to see the Kites flying off at first light and I was wrong. They were coming out 40 minutes before dawn and some were still at Paddock Hill when I left.

I think the ones who stayed are probably the kites that have been reared in that area and the parents, WT15 hardly moved from the roost for more than a few minutes.

WT15 was constantly calling, I don't know if that is his way of telling others that they are on his territory.

The sun is much better in the morning as it is behind where you are looking from, the ony problem though is that being in valley the sun is still struggling to hit the viaduct for a long time after dawn and the valley was quite dark, cold and misty at times.

All in all, it's probably better going to see the roost in the evening if you want to see the Kites. It's probably easier to count the Kites in the morning as you get less coming and going as more kites simply fly off while on an evening they fly in and out of the roost and counting can be confusing.

I could hear Kites calling from an area where no Kites came out of while I was watching so I would guess that more than 51 were present during the night.

Mouldy · Nov 16, 2012

Family photos

I don't often get the chance to photograph kites (being armed with just a point and press camera and also being a poor photographer in my own right) but was able to snap a couple of perched kites yesterday. WT15 at paddock hill woods (where else?) which would have been a cracking composition if I'd been able to focus on the bird rather than the twigs, and F3 atop a pylon in the field opposite lockhaugh farm.
Wasn't til later I realised they were father and son so a canny coincidence. Must try to get to the roost but proving a bit difficult as the peak time coincides with the kids coming out of school. Hopefully at the weekend.

June Atkinson · Nov 17, 2012

Mouldy said:
I don't often get the chance to photograph kites (being armed with just a point and press camera and also being a poor photographer in my own right) but was able to snap a couple of perched kites yesterday. WT15 at paddock hill woods (where else?) which would have been a cracking composition if I'd been able to focus on the bird rather than the twigs, and F3 atop a pylon in the field opposite lockhaugh farm.
Wasn't til later I realised they were father and son so a canny coincidence. Must try to get to the roost but proving a bit difficult as the peak time coincides with the kids coming out of school. Hopefully at the weekend.

I agree that the twigs won, Alan!! But your pic of F3 is superb! Yes, he is the prodigy of Red Philip and is doing very well. Red Philip has proved that red kites do not always mate for life. His history shows him pairing with two kites and he has fathered at least ten chicks since he began breeding in 2006. One chick was successfully raised and fledged the nest in late July 2006. The young chick, the first to be born in the region for nearly 200 years, was named 'Geordie'.
Go to http://friendsofredkites.org.uk/page13.htm#a for his story - it could be made into a book!!
I'm sending you a PM Alan.

June Atkinson · Nov 17, 2012

Lecture Bird sense

This lecture sounds extremely interesting.

Centre for Life
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM (GMT)
Professor Tim Birkhead from Sheffield University as he attempts to change the way we think about birds. He did his Zoology degree at Newcastle University.

What is it like to be a bird? Birds see better and differently from us; their sense of smell, touch and taste are much better than we have so far imagined. Certain birds possess senses that we can hardly begin to imagine, like echolocation and the ability to detect distant rain. For some reason we have an oddly limited sense of what it is like to be a bird. Join Professor Tim Birkhead as he looks to rectify any misconceptions we might have and in doing so, change the way we think about birds.

Reserve your ticket online then pay £2 on the door.

June Atkinson · Nov 18, 2012

Report: Roost Watch Saturday 17th November 2012

Roost Watch. 17th November 2012
About thirty people including four very keen and excited youngters watched a brilliant flying display by 25 magnificent red kites, from
the viaduct on the Derwent walk. The kites were gathering together for their pre-roost before eventually going to roost for the night.
The sun shone on the kites showing off their wonderful russet colours. They swooped and swirled, glided and dived, played and
perched and occasionally called to each other and gave a wonderful demonsration of just how beautiful these birds are to watch. Much to
the delight of the children some came down quite low and close to the viaduct, providing excellent close up views of the birds.

Red kites started to pre-roost from 2.45 pm onwards in the Hollinside, Paddock Hill, Snipes Dene areas. As the sun began to drop in the sky
the kites seemed undecided as to where to roost. The group split, some flying into the Gibside Estate, some into Paddock Hill Wood
where Wing Tag 15 (Red Philip) was seen perched in a tree beside this year's nest. He remained there from about 3.20 pm onwards.
He briefly sat on the nest then went back to sitting beside it. Many birds seemed reluctant to settle down for the night and flew out
from Snipes Dene and then back into Gibside whilst a few appeared to fly towards Chopwell Woods and Strother Hills.
Finally at 4.20 pm the birds all disappeared to roost, mostly into the Gibside Estate and quite suddenley the skies seemed silent and empty.

A most successful and enjoyable event. Judy Summerson

June Atkinson · Dec 6, 2012

Kite mosaic lands again!

On Tuesday, a group of volunteers visited Durham and the coast, to "fly" the red kite mosaic again, as part of the Community Heritage Happenings.

We had visitors from Gloucestershire, Morecambe and even Canada helping to build the kite mosaic on the beach with the Lighthouse as an iconic backdrop.

For a video clip showing the group at work and a full report go to: http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page16.htm

June Atkinson · Jan 11, 2013

The mosaic kite's journey is almost over

Attached is a map showing the locations where we have built our 22.5 metre kite mosaic.
Bamburgh will be the final location, so we are looking for a suitable window in the weather.

Once we have completed the Flight of the Kite, we are then going to prepare our Heritage Exhibition, which will tour venues throughout the region.

In June, it will be at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, and will be our contribution to FestivalNE.

For more info please go to: http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page16.htm

Peewit · Jan 11, 2013

June Atkinson said:
Attached is a map showing the locations where we have built our 22.5 metre kite mosaic.
Bamburgh will be the final location, so we are looking for a suitable window in the weather.

Once we have completed the Flight of the Kite, we are then going to prepare our Heritage Exhibition, which will tour venues throughout the region.

In June, it will be at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, and will be our contribution to FestivalNE.

For more info please go to: http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page16.htm

Well done June, with the preperation of the Exhibition and the mosaic

Not been in touch, so here I am, as I love to read your thread of all your Red Kites anyday! :gh:

Regards
Kathy
x

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