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

June Atkinson · Jan 4, 2012

Friends of Red Kites Health Walks January - April 2012

Details of our Health Walks are on the attached poster.
Everyone is welcome! The kites are particularly active at present.

Go to the Nine Arches Viaduct at about 3.30pm.

We have a new page Befriend a Kite - this is a similar scheme to the Adopt-a-Kite run by Northern Kites.
Six schools have already applied and received their Certificate as well as a framed Photograph of their kite.

villager · Jan 5, 2012

Hello June

Do most of "your" Kites stay local? I ask because I often see them from my window at work. I am near to Rockingham Forest, and so most of the tagged birds I see have white left tags, however today I saw one with a pink left wing tag, which I believe is one of yours? The right wing tag was I'm pretty sure green but it was getting dark at the time. Couldn't see the number though!

June Atkinson · Jan 5, 2012

How interesting! although the majority of our kites tend to stay in the region, we have had one which, as a very young bird, travelled from the Derwent Valley to mid-Wales, to the Chilterns (her birthplace), back to the NE, then to Yorkshire, back to here and finally returned to join an untagged male with the Yorkshire group at Harwood, near Harrogate, where they have raised at least six chicks!!
Another of our kites flew north to the Black Isle, but was found dead.......no surprise there!!

I'll report your sighting, even though you didn't see the RH tag colour for sure.
If you get a definite sighting, please use our Contact sheet on the website:
www.friendsofredkites.org.uk

villager said:
Hello June

Do most of "your" Kites stay local? I ask because I often see them from my window at work. I am near to Rockingham Forest, and so most of the tagged birds I see have white left tags, however today I saw one with a pink left wing tag, which I believe is one of yours? The right wing tag was I'm pretty sure green but it was getting dark at the time. Couldn't see the number though!

June Atkinson · Jan 7, 2012

Sculpture Trail at Thornley Woods

There is a new Sculpture Trail which starts at the Thornley Woods Visitor Centre. Follow the Yellow route and you'll see beautiful wood sculptures created by Thomas Craggs of Moorside, Consett.
The route is fairly level and takes about half an hour. Here is one example - of a Red Kite, courtesy of Harold Dobson.

wolfbirder · Jan 8, 2012

As an aside, how many red kites are there guessed to be based in this re-introduction area?

Driving down the M40 yesterday on a day trip to Hendon RAF museum, me and my son counted 31 Reds kites heading south and 54 coming back. Incredible numbers. Not your birds I appreciate, but it gives an indication of how the population grows given time.

June Atkinson · Jan 8, 2012

The M40 runs through the area where the first re-introduction of red kites was carried out in the Chilterns, using birds from the Welsh remnant and some Spanish birds.
They have been so successful that they have donated chicks to every other re-introduction in the UK, and lastly, a relocation in the Inverness area.
You can go to Stokenchurch and see 40 kites above your head and they can be seen throughout the region.

So the Chilterns Red Kites and the Rockingham Red Kites are gradually dispersing and the hope is that eventually the kites from all the re-introduction schemes will populate the whole of the UK. Three of our kites have gone to pair up with Yorkshire Kites, one went to the Black Isle, where it was poisoned and we have kites from other groups here in the Derwent Valley.

wolfbirder said:
As an aside, how many red kites are there guessed to be based in this re-introduction area?

Driving down the M40 yesterday on a day trip to Hendon RAF museum, me and my son counted 31 Reds kites heading south and 54 coming back. Incredible numbers. Not your birds I appreciate, but it gives an indication of how the population grows given time.

June Atkinson · Jan 13, 2012

Roost Watch at the Nine Arches viaduct

This is for members of the Friends of Red Kites.

Why not join and come along? The kites are very active at present!

You'd be very welcome.

Mickr · Jan 15, 2012

June Atkinson said:
This is for members of the Friends of Red Kites.

Why not join and come along? The kites are very active at present!

You'd be very welcome.

At least 24 Kites were seen yesterday, they were still coming in after dark which was something of a surprise and they were coming in from all directions.

A lack of snow is doing them no harm at all, they looked to be in really condition.

Two months time and they should be displaying.

June Atkinson · Jan 23, 2012

Important correction

Apologies - the Roost Watch is an Open Event, for everyone.

So please go along - if you're a photographer, take your gear!!

Details in message above.

June Atkinson said:
This is for members of the Friends of Red Kites.

Why not join and come along? The kites are very active at present!

You'd be very welcome.

June Atkinson · Jan 28, 2012

Looking for the kites

We went to Gibside for a light snack (very nice !) and then did a circular tour hoping to see some of the recorded 40 kites in the core area.

Immediately after leaving the Rowlands Gill Road towards High Spen, two kites appeared right above our heads. Clearly enjoying the thermals, they floated around, looking splendid. I think I saw another carrying a stick, but by the time I had parked safely, it was gone!

Usually an excellent place is St.Patrick's Cemetery at Victoria Garesfield, but here again, we saw nothing. I met John Bridges and Ray Scott, who declared a tally of 5, which is good. It was good to meet Birdforum folk, and put a face to entries and photos!

No kites to be seen at Barlow, but we saw three more above the traffic lights on the Winlaton junction nearer RG. They were probably on their way to the roost in the woods near the Nine Arches Viaduct. Our total for the day was a definite eight Red Kites.

Don't forget the Roost Watch next Saturday at the Viaduct.

June Atkinson · Feb 13, 2012

Friends of Red Kites Go Wild with Dick and Dom!!

Coming soon.................... don't miss it.

You can always play catch-up if you are a sleepyhead in the mornings!!

June Atkinson · Feb 18, 2012

Friends of Red Kites and Friends of Chopwell Woods

are working together in a Pilot programme of Health Walks in Chopwell Woods. All details in attached poster.

June Atkinson · Feb 25, 2012

Friends of Red Kites sponsor Emmanuel College in F1 Racing

We have sponsored the Emmanuel College's entry to F1 Racing. They have named their car Red Kite, which is very appropriate.

Have a look at our coverage on our website:
http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page2.htm

Didn't they do well!!

Do you notice the superb diving kite image on their Banner? It is kindly donated by Mali Halls.

Mickr · Mar 1, 2012

The number of Kites going to the roost looks to have dropped drastically, I wonder if they are spending time looking for territories? It is due to get colder over the weekend so they may go back to using the roost. The most I have seen is 38, the last 2 evenings have seen the numbers drop by a half or more unless the birds are coming in after dark.

I have heard a couple of people claiming to have seen a Goshawk displaying in the Derwent Valley.

June Atkinson · Mar 7, 2012

Causey Gill Beamish

Yesterday we saw several red kites in the Causey Gill area. This is where we have had two successful nests in the past.
One kite was flying with a very long stick above the areas of woodland near the Black Horse, which now has an Information Pack about Friends of Red Kites for customers and children to enjoy.

The attached is one which I took - has the kite something in its talons?

The focus isn't wonderful - a combination of wind and excitement!!

Mickr · Mar 7, 2012

June Atkinson said:
Yesterday we saw several red kites in the Causey Gill area. This is where we have had two successful nests in the past.
One kite was flying with a very long stick above the areas of woodland near the Black Horse, which now has an Information Pack about Friends of Red Kites for customers and children to enjoy.

The attached is one which I took - has the kite something in its talons?

The focus isn't wonderful - a combination of wind and excitement!!

June,

That does look like the Kite is carrying something, I would guess it is possibly a clump of grass type material.

June Atkinson · Mar 8, 2012

Dick and Dom GO WILD with Friends of Red Kites

During the programme, filmed in a secret location in the lower Derwent Valley, Keith Bowey introduces a baby chick which has been ringed and tagged as E3. Keith was Leader of the successful Northern Kites re-introduction of 94 red kite chicks from 2004 - 2009.

Standing alongside is Judy Summerson, Membership Secretary of Friends of Red Kites and Mentor to the two girls who were chosen to participate in this programme.

Mickr · Mar 11, 2012

A fitting photo the week before the new season starts.

Echo7 · Mar 13, 2012

Hi Everyone

This might be a silly question but are dogs allowed on the health walks through Derwent Park? Dog is small and well behaved and will be on a leader |

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Mickr · Mar 14, 2012

Echo7 said:
Hi Everyone

This might be a silly question but are dogs allowed on the health walks through Derwent Park? Dog is small and well behaved and will be on a leader ||

I don't go on the walks but I understand dogs are allowed. I would guess that nobody would have a problem if the dog is on a lead and any mess left by the dog is taken away.

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