Northern Kites (1 Viewer)

[June Atkinson]

Red Kites on the move

Into Northumberland!!

Leonard and I were on our way back from Hadrian's Wall and, just before the junction of the Military Road with the A68, we had an excellent sighting of two red kites!
One was perched in the hedge on the north side of the Military road, the other was flying above it. I was able to stop and using binoculars, was able to follow them as they lifted into the air and flew westwards. :t:
Ref: OS NY974689

 

[charlierocky]

Great news June and thanks for posting the location. I am just in the process of purchasing a caravan with a view of spending sometime up north looking for the kites and other birding interests.

 

[June Atkinson]

You're very welcome - nearer the time, get in touch and I'll up-date you on the best places to see our beautiful kites!
The only time we hired a caravan was in the Isle of Whithorn. Never again. The site was diabolical, nothing worked in the caravan, and our toddler wouldn't go to sleep. It was a total nightmare - went back to camping

 

[Mickr]

I was at the Viaduct today and watched 10 Kites in the sky at the same time, I also noticed that WT16 is spending time in the area so it looks like the Viaduct will be an interesting visit again this summer. I spent some time at Far Pasture and at least 6 Kites came in to roost between 17:30 and 18:00, they are roosting across the river and to the West of Far Pasture.

 

[Mickr]

I managed to see both WT15 and WT16, WT15 was seen in a tree near the Viaduct.

 

[June Atkinson]

House-hunting

I was at the Viaduct today and watched 10 Kites in the sky at the same time, I also noticed that WT16 is spending time in the area so it looks like the Viaduct will be an interesting visit again this summer. I spent some time at Far Pasture and at least 6 Kites came in to roost between 17:30 and 18:00, they are roosting across the river and to the West of Far Pasture.

You had a really good day, Mick. The kites at the Viaduct are being very fickle; they don't seem able to decide which of the two nest sites to settle at. But I hope we shall have at least one pair nesting there, because it makes Kitewatch so much more accessible. Gateshead Council will be organising the Kitewatch this summer, with the support and attendance of Northern Kites Staff and Volunteers, of course.

I was at Crookhill Primary School, Ryton, on Friday, with Julie Chrisp, one of the Staff. We did a Treasure Trail in the playground, after Julie had talked to them about the kites. After lunch we took the whole class on a Safari, first to Barlow, where we saw four kites, and the children used the tracking gear and recorded the sightings, then to Sherburn Towers where we again had lovely clear views of several. A keen-eyed pupil spotted one really high in the sky - and we were able to identify it. They were so keen, and so good, it was a pleasure to be out with them. :t: Sadly, we didn't manage to track their kite Crookhill Blaze.

Hope to see you around. Would you be kind enough to send your images to the Kite Office [email protected] To have ones with visible tags is really useful for the database. And would you permit me to save these images for my bank of photos which I draw on to create Power Point presentations - for talks we give during the year. I'd really appreciate it, and your images would be acknowledged, of course.

 

[June Atkinson]

Teesdale Kite Events

Parked by the chevrons on the Woodland-Egglestone road at 3.00pm yesterday afternoon. Initially one Kite in the air cirlcing along the ridge to the north. It landed on a rocky outcrop only to be mobbed by a Crow/Raven.

A few minutes two further Kites came on the scene, two with no tags but one with green wing tags. no number visible but I think it may be from Dumfries&Galloway from 2006.

The three Kites interacted for 10 minutes or so often overhead but circling quite high. one peeled off to the south whilst the other two continued to 'play' for the next 20 minutes before heading off north towards Egglestone Common and Blackton. A few minutes later two Kites appeared from the south and headed west along Teesdale. Certainly three Kites about and possibly four. The most I've seen together here.

Here, attached are details of a Programme of Events in Teesdale. The first is this evening at Romaldkirk and is FREE!

 

[Mark Newsome]

Red Kite survey - Saturday 5th April

Just a reminder about the forthcoming Kite survey.
As per Keith Bowey (Project manager, Northern Kites), Red Kites are currently going through a major expnsion phase in the Lower Derwent Valley and also establishing themselves in several other new areas in our region.

On Saturday 5 April (and perhaps also on 12 April, if 5th is no good for weather/observers), Durham Bird Club will be joining forces with Teesmouth Bird Club and Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club in checking possible areas around the north-east in an attempt to find 'new' Kites sites. The survey consists of being allocated a likely area (one where kites have been reported, or where the habitat is suitable for them - not areas where it is known that Kites are already present and settled), spending 2 hours late morning scanning from one or two vantage points and recording what you see. Hopefully you'll find a Kite or two, but otherwise it will be just a good chance to look for other raptors - now is an excellent time to see displaying Buzzards, Goshawks, Sparrowhawks, maybe the odd Hen Harrier moving through...

It's an easy survey, gets you out in the Durham countryside, gives you the chance to look for some exciting raptors and it helps both the Northern Kites and the DBC.

If you want to do the survey but struggle for transport, there should also be opportunities to team up/car share (depending on who volunteers of course!).

If you'd like to join in, there are a good few survey areas in County Durham still available. Drop me a PM or an email, and I'll confirm what areas are unallocated and send you the survey form. Cheers.

 

[Helen O]

June, I trust you are taking care of those kites up there...

 

[Vipers]

On the 9th April I was on my way to Letah Wood, near Hexham. Just passed Dipton Mill I spotted a large raptor being mobbed by a crow, as I got a bit closer I could see it was a Red Kite. When I stopped the car to watch it, it flushed a Buzzard from a tree and the two of them circled together. I could see another bird with red on it, in the tree the buzzard came out of. I thought it was another Red Kite, until it hopped to the front of the tree, then I could see it was a Harris Hawk. It then took off and joined the other two in the air. It's not every day you see a Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Harris Hawk all having a scrap. After a couple of minutes they all went their separate ways, the Red kite headed off West and I lost it behind the trees ( sorry June I didn't get the tag numbers ).

 

[IanF]

Langleydale Common near Egglestone - 14:20 Red Kite x3 - unable to see if any tags as against bright sky. One on it's own and the other two interacting with a Buzzard for ten minutes before soaring very high away from the Buzzard and into the cloud base when lost from view.

 

[June Atkinson]

Teesdale kites

June, I trust you are taking care of those kites up there...

Of course, Helen! We went for a couple of nights to Teesdale on Friday. Going over Bollihope in a snow blizzard was not our idea of a spring break!
There was a Red Kite Ramble on Saturday morning, starting with breakfast at the Moorcock Inn at Eggleston. They didn't see any kites unfortunately, but enjoyed the walk, and now know where to go independently to try to see them.
We had no luck in the morning, but in the evening at about 6pm, on our way back from the Yorkshire (!) Dales, we stopped at Kinninvie, and had excellent views of the male, untagged, non-Northern Kites bird. Apparently the female didn't come back until just after 8p.m.

Here, there is tremendous activity throughout the Derwent Valley, as the birds are dispersing in all directions. Interesting to read of the sighting at Dipton Mill.............. we had a good view of a pair at the A68/Corbridge/Military Road junction a short time ago, so it looks as if they are in Tynedale. There is a report of one at Roughside, near Blanchland. If anyone manages to read any tags, we'd really appreciate a call or e-mail to the Office. Now that the radio transmitters are coming to the end of their life span, we rely almost totally on visual checks. Many thanks for your co-operation!

 

[boddie]

Spotted a red kite along the A61 just south of Harrogate, North Yorks on Saturday. No idea how common they are in the area, but as always, it got me very excited, having only seen them in Mid Wales/M40 previously.

 

[Helen O]

Spotted a red kite along the A61 just south of Harrogate, North Yorks on Saturday. No idea how common they are in the area, but as always, it got me very excited, having only seen them in Mid Wales/M40 previously.

The Harewood Estate was an area where they were reintroduced just a few years ago. The chicks were translocated from the Chilterns.

 

[June Atkinson]

Harrogate red kite

Spotted a red kite along the A61 just south of Harrogate, North Yorks on Saturday. No idea how common they are in the area, but as always, it got me very excited, having only seen them in Mid Wales/M40 previously.

Yes, like our Northern Kites, there was a re-introduction at Harewood House, near Harrogate, starting in 1999. Ours in 2004, was the final one in the UK. Both were donated chicks from the Chilterns Project.

http://www.yorkshirewater.com/resources/files/82_redkite.pdf

It is an excellent area. I have heard that the kites like Eccup Reservoir, too.:t:

 

[June Atkinson]

Ponteland U3A Birdwatchers on Safari

Leonard and I got to Gibside before lunch, and it was wet, very wet! But we kept to our plans for the afternoon, when the small but keen birdwatching group of Ponteland U3A had arranged to meet us at Thornley Woods.

We had wonderful sightings of our kites, often in pairs displaying in various places:

above the road into Rowlands Gill, at the Winlaton junction,

above the Derwent Caravan Park - here a pair was interacting really well, flying just above the Working Men's Club,

at Lockhaugh, where we had good views of one flying low in the valley and two coming in from the Thornley Woods side,

at Victoria Garesfield, at the Cemetery Gate; here we saw three flying separately,

driving down to Lintzford, another kite was overhead.

We spent some time in the Far Pastures Hide, where we enjoyed seeing Swans, Dab Chicks, Canada Geese, Coots, Tufted Duck - the record book noted two Kites seen this week.

We finished our afternoon Safari with a cup of tea at the Lintzfor Garden Centre Café, which opened last year.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Yes, like our Northern Kites, there was a re-introduction at Harewood House, near Harrogate, starting in 1999. Ours in 2004, was the final one in the UK. Both were donated chicks from the Chilterns Project.

http://www.yorkshirewater.com/resources/files/82_redkite.pdf

It is an excellent area. I have heard that the kites like Eccup Reservoir, too.:t:

The reservoir backs onto the release area used for the Harewood project. RSPB have (or did have) a watchpoint manned by volunteers to show the kites to the public. Best total in the air at once at the watchpoint was 18 birds, now you can usually get about 3 or 4 as the birds have dispersed somewhat.

 

[Helen O]

Ours in 2004, was the final one in the UK. Both were donated chicks from the Chilterns Project.

Aberdeen are now taking chicks from us in the Chilterns.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/projects/aberdeen_kites/

 

[June Atkinson]

Ponteland U3A Birdwatching Group on Safari

A photo of the group.....................and no, I was not tempted to "add" a kite or two to enliven that grey sky! Well, I was, but I knew you'd never believe it!

 

[Mickr]

You had a really good day, Mick. The kites at the Viaduct are being very fickle; they don't seem able to decide which of the two nest sites to settle at. But I hope we shall have at least one pair nesting there, because it makes Kitewatch so much more accessible. Gateshead Council will be organising the Kitewatch this summer, with the support and attendance of Northern Kites Staff and Volunteers, of course.

It looks like Kitewatch will be at the same place again this year if they want to use the Viaduct area.