Golden Eagles in the Lake district (1 Viewer)

pratincol said:

Oh the Kites!
What did happen to them?Good question.
They released some from Grizedale.Just after that I saw two doing well near Flookburgh.They then disappeared.
I saw one a couple of years ago near Shap then......... nothing!
The only news I heard about them, apart from this, was about some old geezer in Ulverston who was caught poisoning them!
What was that you said about human intelligence?

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saluki said:

I believe at least two pairs bred in the Lakes this year (broods of two and three rung and tagged). One theory as to why the kites haven't done as well as in other release areas is that no feeding station was set up for them, as they were at the other releases. I used to see kites regularly after the initial release, when looking for other raptors in the South Lakes, not so many in the last few years. Lots of Ospreys though

Just a quick thought on raptor persecution in the North West. Whilst persecution is rife in Bowland, it isn't anywhere near as bad west of the M6, mainly because there are few, if any, grouse moors around the Lakes. The biggest problem would probably be from backward-thinking farmers (such as Allan Armistead, the Red kite poisoner at Oxen Park) who continue to place poison baits out for foxes and corvids - though I understand from locals that Armistead was deliberately targeting kites. I asked one of the guys involved with the Riggindale eagles as to why they didn't hack a female into the area. He told me that sadly they thought it would be a waste of time as there was now too much disturbance and and too little prey.

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