Reintroduced Red Kite shot in Co. Wicklow (1 Viewer)

Hi all,
From the Irish Times website-

Red kite found shot dead in Wicklow

Efforts to revive Ireland's once extinct red kite population have been dealt a blow after a bird released in the Wicklow mountains was found shot dead, it was revealed today.

The bird, set free six weeks ago with 29 other kites, had been hit with shotgun pellets and was found on farmland north of Arklow yesterday.

Garda are investigating the killing which is believed to have happened between Sunday and yesterday.

Kites are protected under the Wildlife Act and have also been awarded the highest level of protection under European law.

The Golden Eagle Trust (GET), which is managing the project with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Welsh Kite Trust, said the loss was a major blow.

"Obviously, after all the hard work and support for the project in Wicklow, nationally and in Wales, it is very worrying to recover a shot kite so soon after they have been released," GET project manager Damian Clarke said. "But I must stress that the level of support from all the local farmers, landowners and local gun clubs and shooting syndicates has been excellent."

Red kites were driven to extinction in Ireland from shooting, trapping and poisoning even though they pose no threat to either game birds or livestock. Kites have a wingspan of up to 1.8m but with weak beaks and claws they are not powerful predators and feed mostly on carrion in the winter and small mammals, crows, insects and worms.

"We hope that all landowners can advise people shooting on their property that red kites must be left unmolested. These species are fully protected by the law and it is illegal to shoot red kites, by mistake or otherwise," Mr Clarke said. "It is very unfortunate that we should recover a shot kite during National Heritage week - it once again highlights the importance that everyone needs to play a role in protecting Ireland's natural and cultural Heritage."

The red kite programme is one of three schemes to return previously extinct birds of prey to the Irish skies. Pairs of golden eagles have been released in Donegal and one set have bred successfully while in Co Kerry sea eagles have been returned to parkland around Killarney

Sad news indeed Harry, let us all hope that this is never repeated & that these wonderful birds flourish in the Wicklow mountains.

How anyone can shoot such a superb creature is beyond comprehension.

From a great admirer of the Red Kite. ROD.

Absolutley disgusted!

Rather sad news this, surely we got past this years go?? Can only hope this proves to be the only setback of its kind while these birds attempt to gain a foothold in the area. God knows they have enough of a struggle ahead of them just to survive naturally without mindless idiots lining them up in their sights as well.

Harry Hussey said:

Hi all,
From the Irish Times website-

"Obviously, after all the hard work and support for the project in Wicklow, nationally and in Wales, it is very worrying to recover a shot kite so soon after they have been released," GET project manager Damian Clarke said. "But I must stress that the level of support from all the local farmers, landowners and local gun clubs and shooting syndicates has been excellent."

Click to expand...

They're obviously delighted to have some new targets. Did nobody analyse the level of persecution of the BOP they hadn't extirpated before starting to release extra species? I thought rule 1 of reintroduction is to establish prior to starting that conditions that caused the original loss of species have been removed, especially persecution by man?

John

Farnboro John said:

Did nobody analyse the level of persecution of the BOP they hadn't extirpated before starting to release extra species? John

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I don't think you'd get anywhere if you tried to completely rule out persecution as a consideration before re-introducing.

It would be instructive to know who was responsible and why - the prognosis for the bird would be different depending on whether is was a misguided farmer, gamekeeper etc, or someone who hunts for pleasure.

I can't imagine you could shoot a kite this early in the reintroduction programme unless you knew about the reintroduction, knew where to find them and planned to kill one. I have yet to even lay eyes on one of them!

I can't understand why anyone would want to waste a cartridge on a Red Kite, they're so much easier to poison!!!

nirofo.

There is a particularly spiteful and ill-informed little diatribe against the Red Kite, based on this story, by Richard Ingrams in yesterday's issue of The Independent.
He refers to Red Kites "circling menacingly over my house" and then goes on to blame the decline of songbirds on the Kite and other raptors. Up to a point Lord Copper.
I hope that one of the sponsoring organisations of the Red Kite re-introduction project will put him right.

At the moment The Independent's website isn't functioning properly, so I can't post a link. I have a feeling that their content becomes available on a payment only basis twenty four hours after publication.

Both Ingrams and The Independent should be ashamed of themselves.

Edit:

It is worth quoting Ingrams further:

" I was pleased to see a picture of a dead one in yesterday's Independent".

Rediculous!Another case of journalists getting it spot on!

The Independent's web site now appears to be functioning. The article can be found here:

http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article2917318.ece

(Last item in the column, but without sub-title)

As mentioned above, I expect it will become (paid) subscription only very soon.

I've copied the article but I'm unwilling to post it here as I'm not sure if that would be in contravention of site rules, re copyright etc.

Bill Payer said:

There is a particularly spiteful and ill-informed little diatribe against the Red Kite, based on this story, by Richard Ingrams in yesterday's issue of The Independent.
He refers to Red Kites "circling menacingly over my house" and then goes on to blame the decline of songbirds on the Kite and other raptors. Up to a point Lord Copper.
I hope that one of the sponsoring organisations of the Red Kite re-introduction project will put him right.

At the moment The Independent's website isn't functioning properly, so I can't post a link. I have a feeling that their content becomes available on a payment only basis twenty four hours after publication.

Both Ingrams and The Independent should be ashamed of themselves.

Edit:

It is worth quoting Ingrams further:

" I was pleased to see a picture of a dead one in yesterday's Independent".

Click to expand...

Hi Harry

Why do people just live and let live with these birds. All at a time to reintroduce the species, and still man cannot leave these beautiful animals alone. Ireland needs to have this bird living and breeding like anywhere else.

It has taken a lot of hard work, money and human intervention here, and I admire all the people who have supported the cause here.

I hope the rest of the re-introductions are left to be the birds to live as they should, and have the right to be.

hi Bill and everyone

What a 'morose' story about one man's thoughts of hatred about Red Kites :C

Journalists mmmm what do I say here - not a lot. :C

It is informative to read on this thread about Red Kites not having strong talons and beaks. I never knew that so that was interesting to find out here (beginner's luck here).
So it is obvious that the damage they must do to live livestock will be minimal. So they must/will feed of dead animals ie livestock in this case. So it is proof that they are incapable of killing livestock (though game birds are not ruled out here as easy targets.)

As for Songbirds, Sparrowhawks, and other BoP eat garden birds, and that is their natural food. So if they cannot do this what are they supposed to eat. It is the nature of the beast, and raw nature as it should be.

I have mentioned a few times here, that I had the luck of living next door to Red Kites in central Scotland a few years ago. I never thought of them as being threatening in any way at all

They got up close and personal to me on more than a few occasions. They landed close by the house, calling to each other, and they had their favourite patch to patrol on regular intervals. They are wonderful to watch along with the local Barn Owl and Bats we had. We had a lot of disused Outbuildings so that was a bonus to us.

One thing I can say is that from my own experience of living close to a farm, and seeing how farming practices worked. Well sometimes it was not not simple as that.
It was not all that clear cut as it should be at all. Clear cut meaning that when stock animals/animals died (young animals especially) the remains of these animals where not always removed from the spot they died. They where left lying in fields, and not disposed of as they should have been. The smell of death filled the air, and I could smell it while living at the farm house at times (wind direction etc :eek! :-C

I know the laws have changed over the years about disposal of dead remains of animals. I understand that they are removed from the farms and taken to be disposed of/burned in other ways now.
I would think that there will be cost attached to this too. Everything is a drain on financial resources now. Costs and more costs. Farmers are struggling in far too many other ways at the moment.

No wonder BoP, foxes and animals who have incredible smell, and good eye sight, who are opportunists by nature, will consume animal remains, if they find them on the ground. That is how nature works, and man will never change that.
In this case foxes where the persecuted ones at this farm - sadly. I just found it upsetting as the foxes where being blamed too.

Obviously this does not apply to all farms, but this one was a bit untidy in this way could we say. So I do not want to cause a stir with people who farm at all.
This was a one off. Anyway I am only an interested observer that is all.
I have stayed stayed at three farms in all as rentals, and they could not be any more different how they managed their animals in general.

No wonder BoP, foxes and animals who are opportunists by nature will consume animal remains if they find them on the ground. That is how nature works, and man will never change that. So if BoP's are persecuted, it is unsettling how they are blamed for everything that man has created. :C

This is what I find so difficult to comprehend at all. :C

Looking back all these years ago (showing my age here). Do people remember the crow family being persecuted for what ever reason. I remember, I used the see lots of crows and members of the crow family tied to fences near farms, and left to die, or they where dead already. :-C

We never see this sight anymore thank goodness, so life has moved on from this now. :t:

There was an outcry about this going on. Now I can see why crows are so wary of humans, as if they have wizened up to us.

Bill Payer said:

There is a particularly spiteful and ill-informed little diatribe against the Red Kite, based on this story, by Richard Ingrams in yesterday's issue of The Independent.

Click to expand...

Frighteningly ignorant piece of 'journalism'.

What a tosser that ingrams must be.Everybody on the forum should boycott the independant,i certainly wont ever buy the paper again.

dubs1967 said:

What a tosser that ingrams must be.Everybody on the forum should boycott the independant,i certainly wont ever buy the paper again.

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ditto!! :t:

Was wondering recently what proportion of hunters/game shooters there are in UK/Ireland as against birders and or active conservationists; i.e. just how outnumbered are we?

Anyone have a rough idea?

pianoman said:

Was wondering recently what proportion of hunters/game shooters there are in UK/Ireland as against birders and or active conservationists; i.e. just how outnumbered are we?

Anyone have a rough idea?

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UK figures only I'm afraid, but this site suggests 480,000 people shoot live quarry in the UK. The RSPB has over 1 million members, if that can be taken as some indication of support for birds/conservation.

Of course, there is an overlap between the two groups, despite the illegal persecution that goes on in some quarters, so it isn't always a case of 'them' and 'us'.

Thanks Caper - an interesting set of stats, especially the financial figures.

dubs1967 said:

What a tosser that ingrams must be.Everybody on the forum should boycott the independant,i certainly wont ever buy the paper again.

Click to expand...

Ingram's a typical right wing cock.

(2 puns in 6 words).

dubs1967 said:

What a tosser that ingrams must be.Everybody on the forum should boycott the independant,i certainly wont ever buy the paper again.

Click to expand...

Richard Ingrams is utterly senile, he hardly knows his own name. I cant believe he wrote that rubbish, far more likely to be some ignorant wannabe young journo.

Thats two of us then peewit.what a let down as usual.BY THE WAY THE NEW SPONSERS OF LEEDS UTD IS RED KITE.Very appropriate i think phoenix rising from the ashes springs to mind.Live life and let life live.