A really good spring for Black Kites in the U.K? (1 Viewer)

[Andy Lakin]

Am I right in thinking that this year has been exceptional for the numbers of Black Kites? There has been a steady trickle for a few weeks now , but very few lingering.

 

[Farnboro John]

Seems about normal to me, and its also worth remembering that even before the universality of Red Kites, Black Kites were among the most frequently rejected due to misidentification of Marsh Harriers. There have been some relevant threads on here!

Catching up with even the real ones remains one of the more difficult challenges.

John

 

[Richard Prior]

The regulars have seen four different Black Kites ‘in off’ at Dungeness during the Spring so above average there at least.

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Two together in Shetland is also notable, not sure there's been a multiple occurrence there before.

 

[James Lowther]

Multiple records in Dorset this spring, pretty sure far far more than normal
James

 

[Farnboro John]

Multiple records in Dorset this spring, pretty sure far far more than normal
James

Pretty sure in Dorset at least there have been one or two lingering wanderers (never in the same place two sightings running! ) rather than a lot of arrivals. I've been watching with some interest as I'm year-listing and could do with a better British photo than I currently have.

There have been multiple-bird arrivals before, they've even bred (in Cornwall IIRC, wasn't it the year the idea of the British Red Kite Cornwall Convention was mooted?)

What do the actual stats for acceptances say about past years?

John

 

[James Lowther]

Definitely more than 1 bird and has been successfully twitched
James

 

[Andy Lakin]

So has there been a record of a Black Kite successful breeding attempt? Wasn't there a Red / Black Kite successful breeding attempt in Scotland? I don't know if this was a one off. It seems that it has been very difficult to twitch most of these records this year.

 

[Farnboro John]

So has there been a record of a Black Kite successful breeding attempt? Wasn't there a Red / Black Kite successful breeding attempt in Scotland? I don't know if this was a one off. It seems that it has been very difficult to twitch most of these records this year.

Yes, possibly more than one year? It was way up in Caithness I think.

I accept James's contention but twitchable for me means not just from Weymouth to Swanage.

John

 

[Original PaulE]

Seems about normal to me, and its also worth remembering that even before the universality of Red Kites, Black Kites were among the most frequently rejected due to misidentification of Marsh Harriers. There have been some relevant threads on here!

Catching up with even the real ones remains one of the more difficult challenges.

John

It's interesting you say about the Marsh Harrier ID thing there has been a Black Kite reported on Unst last couple of days, when I was there the day before it was reported I saw a Marsh Harrier, I've triple check the pics I've got and it's defo a female type Marsh Harrier which is annoying as Black Kite would have been a lifer ! Picture attached of my bird confirmation of Marsh Harrier or otherwise would be nice, though I'm pretty sure it's a marshie

 

[Himalaya]

2 Black Kites in Shetland together a day or 2 ago.
One of the Kent birds was later seen in Suffolk.
A bird in 2020 or 2021 first seen in possibly in the Aberdeen area was later seen on a Scottish Isle too.

How many of the southern birds could have actually been sighted elsewhere over the following week?