That's different, are they as close as they look?
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Friends of Red Kites - in the North East of England (8 Viewers)
- Thread starter June Atkinson
- Start date
That's different, are they as close as they look?
dannyboy
Well-known member
Nice one June not many have parakeets visiting their feeders Pictures will follow I presume?
dannyboy
Well-known member
Mick yes they were interacting together. Reports will come tomorrow although in our area nothing really to report. The Core area in Gateshead seems to be where the action is.
Paul
dannyboy
Well-known member
Nice one Mick it's obviously thinking "that blokes here watching us again wish he would leave us in peace"
He's probably wondering if I was carrion or not. I once walked out into my garden and a Sparrowhawk was on the fence, it gave me a dirty look and just watched until I went back in the house. It didn't move apart from to move it's head to follow me with it's eyes. It just wasn't bothered by me in the slightest which I thought was unusual.
barnstormer
Well-known member
That's funny Mick cos mine scatters if I go near the window, but I did get a real close up of long tailed tits who flew onto the feeder I was standing next to no more than 2 feet away, I just stood and watched amazing.
June Atkinson
Well-known member
Twosome's cosy!
Interesting........... neither is tagged. We shall have our work cut out finding them all!
Kites reported over Lobley Hill and over the Primary School.
It's the same at Rowlands Gill, where, if you go up to the new school at dominies close, you can guarantee seeing at least one kite floating about.
Interesting........... neither is tagged. We shall have our work cut out finding them all!
Kites reported over Lobley Hill and over the Primary School.
It's the same at Rowlands Gill, where, if you go up to the new school at dominies close, you can guarantee seeing at least one kite floating about.
June Atkinson
Well-known member
dannyboy
Well-known member
It might arrive in the post sometime in the next week
dannyboy
Well-known member
June the Male in the picture is Red Philip It's just that his tag is hidden by his partner.
June Atkinson
Well-known member
dannyboy
Well-known member
Dead Birds
Shocking new reports of further poisoning in Ross shire on the Website. I will never understand why people insist on killing raptors I don't care if landowners say they harm their livelihood, in some cases some raptors may to a small degree but Kites certainly do not. Unfortunately until reasonable time and effort is put in bringing the culprits to court and passing down reasonable sentences it will never stop. :C
Shocking new reports of further poisoning in Ross shire on the Website. I will never understand why people insist on killing raptors I don't care if landowners say they harm their livelihood, in some cases some raptors may to a small degree but Kites certainly do not. Unfortunately until reasonable time and effort is put in bringing the culprits to court and passing down reasonable sentences it will never stop. :C
June Atkinson
Well-known member
Red Kites at increased risk in Scotland
I was saddened by this report, when I uploaded the article and the link to further information.
We had been more optimisitc in thinking that the new "Vicarious liability" law in Scotland had made a real difference, but apparently not to the extent as we'd hoped. The "Vicarious liability" law means a Landowner can be prosecuted rather than just the tenant or gamekeeper.
In England we don't yet have this VL law and it is harder to bring prosecutions against the "people at the top".
Of course it all boils down to money-making and there is a great deal to be made in arranging Shooting parties, even on our local Upper Pennines. Kites, as you know, are carrion-eaters and do not have the power to lift any prey.
Education is the key - and the realisation that in our area, the red kites have a positive effect on the local economy. From 2004 - 2009 they were instrumental in bringing in £2.1 million to the regional economy.
I was saddened by this report, when I uploaded the article and the link to further information.
We had been more optimisitc in thinking that the new "Vicarious liability" law in Scotland had made a real difference, but apparently not to the extent as we'd hoped. The "Vicarious liability" law means a Landowner can be prosecuted rather than just the tenant or gamekeeper.
In England we don't yet have this VL law and it is harder to bring prosecutions against the "people at the top".
Of course it all boils down to money-making and there is a great deal to be made in arranging Shooting parties, even on our local Upper Pennines. Kites, as you know, are carrion-eaters and do not have the power to lift any prey.
Education is the key - and the realisation that in our area, the red kites have a positive effect on the local economy. From 2004 - 2009 they were instrumental in bringing in £2.1 million to the regional economy.
Daniel Martin
Well-known member
Anyone got any guidance on reporting Red Kites with tags? We have had one near home (Derbyshire) this week with a yellow tag on the right wing, and poss "AJF" on it, but not sure.
I have emailed a few folk from sites googled but no reply.
Thanks in advance.
I have emailed a few folk from sites googled but no reply.
Thanks in advance.
June Atkinson
Well-known member
Identifying red kite tags
First, have a look here: http://www.gigrin.co.uk/redkitetags-explained.php
The location of the kite's home territory is shown by the colour of the tag on the left wing. The right wing tag colour denotes the year a kite is hatched.
So a possible Yellow (tags can fade!) would suggest a 2004 bird. Did you notice a different coloured bar at the base of the tag? This is the same colour as the left home tag. But without seeing the left tag, we can't make a reliable guess.
I can't help with your suggestion of AJF, but I'll cc this exchange to Doug Simpson who led the Yorkshire reintroduction. He might be able to help.
Give it a day perhaps for Doug to respond..........................
June
Press & Publicity
www.friendsofredkites.org.uk
First, have a look here: http://www.gigrin.co.uk/redkitetags-explained.php
The location of the kite's home territory is shown by the colour of the tag on the left wing. The right wing tag colour denotes the year a kite is hatched.
So a possible Yellow (tags can fade!) would suggest a 2004 bird. Did you notice a different coloured bar at the base of the tag? This is the same colour as the left home tag. But without seeing the left tag, we can't make a reliable guess.
I can't help with your suggestion of AJF, but I'll cc this exchange to Doug Simpson who led the Yorkshire reintroduction. He might be able to help.
Give it a day perhaps for Doug to respond..........................
June
Press & Publicity
www.friendsofredkites.org.uk
Last edited:
June Atkinson
Well-known member
Kite with yellow tag
Doug sent out a general enquiry; here is a reply from Brian Etheridge, who has been at the centre of the Raptor Massacre in the Black Isle. He says:
Could be a Black Isle bird that has the wing tag miss-read? I used yellow A1-A9 last year on the right wing.
Let us hope the bird is reported again and the tag confirmed.
Brian
So, please keep an eye out and if you do see this kite again and can pick out some clear identification marks, it might help to solve the mystery.
Doug sent out a general enquiry; here is a reply from Brian Etheridge, who has been at the centre of the Raptor Massacre in the Black Isle. He says:
Could be a Black Isle bird that has the wing tag miss-read? I used yellow A1-A9 last year on the right wing.
Let us hope the bird is reported again and the tag confirmed.
Brian
So, please keep an eye out and if you do see this kite again and can pick out some clear identification marks, it might help to solve the mystery.
Daniel Martin
Well-known member
Thank you June, thats great.
I did get a reply from a lady called Helen - "Ref your sighting, if the tag was indeed yellow on the right wing, it would suggest a 2013 kite, i.e. a 2nd CY bird. It will probably have started moulting by now into its adult plumage, although this process can indeed takes months.
Any other colours seen on the band on the bottom of the tags is useful. I am not familiar with the letters, however it’s always difficult to positively i.d. the number/letters in the field. It is the left wing tag that will identify its original location."
and after another email -
"It is possible to ascertain its original location, by checking the colour of the narrow band on the bottom of the wing if seen on the right wing. The reverse is true when seen on the left wing – i.e. main tag colour indicates location, but narrow band indicates age of bird.
The tags do indeed fall off occasionally. On the other hand, although they usually drop due to becoming brittle with age, tags do occasionally stay on for many years. The average is probably around 4-6 years, but there are lots of exceptions to this rule.
Having been involved with the Chilterns kites for 10 years, and also with the Aberdeen reintroduction, I was fortunate to be the sole carer of more than 30 kite chicks over 2 years, the birds are now flying around Aberdeenshire – all of them were tagged during their stay in a specially built holding pen at my home. Not sure if you have seen the page on my website - here are a few photos of chicks with new wing tags attached – note the coloured band on the edge of the tag."
Just wish we had seen another tag now. It spent a good hour or so taking worms but we havent seen it since.
I did get a reply from a lady called Helen - "Ref your sighting, if the tag was indeed yellow on the right wing, it would suggest a 2013 kite, i.e. a 2nd CY bird. It will probably have started moulting by now into its adult plumage, although this process can indeed takes months.
Any other colours seen on the band on the bottom of the tags is useful. I am not familiar with the letters, however it’s always difficult to positively i.d. the number/letters in the field. It is the left wing tag that will identify its original location."
and after another email -
"It is possible to ascertain its original location, by checking the colour of the narrow band on the bottom of the wing if seen on the right wing. The reverse is true when seen on the left wing – i.e. main tag colour indicates location, but narrow band indicates age of bird.
The tags do indeed fall off occasionally. On the other hand, although they usually drop due to becoming brittle with age, tags do occasionally stay on for many years. The average is probably around 4-6 years, but there are lots of exceptions to this rule.
Having been involved with the Chilterns kites for 10 years, and also with the Aberdeen reintroduction, I was fortunate to be the sole carer of more than 30 kite chicks over 2 years, the birds are now flying around Aberdeenshire – all of them were tagged during their stay in a specially built holding pen at my home. Not sure if you have seen the page on my website - here are a few photos of chicks with new wing tags attached – note the coloured band on the edge of the tag."
Just wish we had seen another tag now. It spent a good hour or so taking worms but we havent seen it since.
June Atkinson
Well-known member
That elusive kite
Your reply would be from Helen Olive who came and stayed with me when we first were starting our re-introduction. I have one of her photographs on my study wall. Do have a look at her website redkites.net some very good info there.
Your reply would be from Helen Olive who came and stayed with me when we first were starting our re-introduction. I have one of her photographs on my study wall. Do have a look at her website redkites.net some very good info there.
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