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Friends of Red Kites - in the North East of England (2 Viewers)

Muggleswick Moor and Derwent Reservoir

I've been out twice this week and still not seen anything.
I called in at the visitor Centre just at the eastern end of the Reservoir and there, the Warden/Ranger said he had seen five recently. But then, later, I had a long conversation with a lady who lives in Muggleswick and she has seen no kites in recent days.





As you know June it's a difficult area to watch as it is so vast. Hopefully you were just unlucky rather than anything more sinister. I go round that area a lot and have only ever had three sightings of Kites in the last 4 years or so. I have noticed though the lack of buzzards now which used to be seen on every trip.
 
Our Anniversary Roost Watch in November

Everyone is welcome to join Friends of Red Kites at their second Roost Watch to be held next month.

This year has been our best breeding season since we released the first chicks in 2004.

Binoculars and telescopes will be available to help you get the best sightings of the kites as they come into their pre-roost sites, before moving on to their night-time roost.
 

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Spent two hours today around Edmondbuyers/Muggleswick/Ruffside with only two Buzzards seen No Kite activity at all. I spent a further two hours on the road between Edmondbuyers and Stanhope with one untagged Juvenile Kite and one Buzzard. Kite was heading back towards the Edmonbuyers area. Worryingly was the activities of a lot of Grouse Beaters on the moor I don't know if they were getting ready for a shooting session or a bit of heather burning.
 
Thursday night at the nine arches viaduct 20 Kites seen coming into roost the numbers seem to be slowly building. Still really good talking to locals who have a keen interest in the Kites
 
I've seen 17 Kites heading into the normal roost site and at least 3 going to the pre-roost and staying in that area for the night. My last visit was different as only 7 Kites headed to the roost, 7 remained at the pre-roost and at least 5 headed towards Gibside but it was too dark to give exact numbers.
 
Red Kites - gathering increases in the Valley

All reports show quite high activity and bodes well for our Roost Watch - details in a previous message.

I've seen 17 Kites heading into the normal roost site and at least 3 going to the pre-roost and staying in that area for the night. My last visit was different as only 7 Kites headed to the roost, 7 remained at the pre-roost and at least 5 headed towards Gibside but it was too dark to give exact numbers.
 
The Kites were quite active tonight and we saw between 25 and 30 Kites but it was virtually impossible to keep an accurate count. They seem to be roosting in 2 places tonight, Paddock Hill and to the West side of the viaduct. I could see a few tagged Kites but couldn't get any numbers. One of our older Kites was at the roost as it had no tags visible but I could see the transmitter on it's back.

The photograph below is of a tagged Kite which didn't show it's tags once. I saw Paul who may have been able to have more luck than I did with tag ID's.
 

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Kites a-plenty!!

Lovely shot Mick!! Saved for the website. I wonder if it's Chester? He is WT76 and green.


The Kites were quite active tonight and we saw between 25 and 30 Kites but it was virtually impossible to keep an accurate count. They seem to be roosting in 2 places tonight, Paddock Hill and to the West side of the viaduct. I could see a few tagged Kites but couldn't get any numbers. One of our older Kites was at the roost as it had no tags visible but I could see the transmitter on it's back.

The photograph below is of a tagged Kite which didn't show it's tags once. I saw Paul who may have been able to have more luck than I did with tag ID's.
 
The Kites were quite active tonight and we saw between 25 and 30 Kites but it was virtually impossible to keep an accurate count. They seem to be roosting in 2 places tonight, Paddock Hill and to the West side of the viaduct. I could see a few tagged Kites but couldn't get any numbers. One of our older Kites was at the roost as it had no tags visible but I could see the transmitter on it's back.

The photograph below is of a tagged Kite which didn't show it's tags once. I saw Paul who may have been able to have more luck than I did with tag ID's.

Great Picture Mick the conditions did become challenging. The only positive ID I got was H5 one of this years Chicks. You may just be able to see the tag. I've added a couple of others from tonight but not as sharp as yours. What a great sight seeing 23 Birds in the air above you at the same time you just don't know where to look
 

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Roost Watch


I've been in touch with Harold Dobson, our Secretary. He is very keen that we assist you in getting to the Roost Watch. I'm more than happy to do a pick-up, so please let us know what transport links you find are feasible on a Saturday afternoon, in the direction of Gateshead/Newcastle.




Going to look at the options today June, my friend went up last year and said it was amazing to see the birds coming in to roost.

Damian
 
Roosting Red Kites



Following an excellent breeding season for the kites when a record number of thirty-five chicks fledged, our monitoring team's focus has now switched to checking birds at roost. Red kites form a communal roost in the autumn, initially made up of failed breeders and juvenile birds. The best place to view this spectacular event is from the Nine Arches Viaduct in the Derwent Country Park, Gateshead.

Roosting kites were first noted on September 22nd when 11 kites flew into the Paddock Hill wood. Numbers are starting to build now and at least 32 came into roost on Sunday 19th October which is 30% more than this time last year.

Several of this year's fledged chicks have already been recorded at the roost.

Numbers will continue to increase as we move deeper into winter and mature kites leave their territories during the colder months to join the roost.

Ken Sanderson

Kite officer
 
What time do the first ones start to turn up in the afternoon?

Earliest about an hour before sundown. These tend to not settle but move around - possibly awaiting the arrival of the other Birds, so it's been about five o clock but with the clocks going back this weekend It would be about four o clock from Sunday. Most birds tend to arrive about half an hour before sun down though.
 
I've been to the roost today and counted 35 Kites so the number is slowly increasing. At first I thought that it was going to be a poor night for Kites actually roosting as I had only seen 5 drop into the roost at Paddock Hill and all of a sudden 30 Kites appeared from the direction of the farm. I've seen more Kites flying out of trees when disturbed but I have never see so many Kites just suddenly appear from nowhere.

I was able to ID 2 Kites, J4 and probably more importantly, probably A6.
 

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I've been in touch with Harold Dobson, our Secretary. He is very keen that we assist you in getting to the Roost Watch. I'm more than happy to do a pick-up, so please let us know what transport links you find are feasible on a Saturday afternoon, in the direction of Gateshead/Newcastle.

June that is very kind of you, thankyou so much, it will be a couple of weeks before i set a date, unemployed at the moment so moneys tight but ill get there wild horses wont stop me and it will be nice to meet up with yourself and some of the other volunteers, looking forward to it already, again thankyou so much for your kind offer.

Damian
 
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