Red Kite in N Wales?

Chr1stof

Chr1stof

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Chris
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I live in Conwy, where would be the closest best place to head to try and see them?
Cheers
Chris
 
Gigrin Farm? Mid wales, but maybe more closer.
 
I'm not sure about the north, but anywhere in mid-Wales.....they are so common now, and they are still displaying so you'll stand a good chance of seeing one. As soon as they are sitting on eggs, though, they will stop displaying and become much more difficult to see.
 
Cheers for the info, hopefully I will get a chance soon to head down towards M Wales
 
jerry12953 said:
I'm not sure about the north, but anywhere in mid-Wales.....they are so common now, and they are still displaying so you'll stand a good chance of seeing one. As soon as they are sitting on eggs, though, they will stop displaying and become much more difficult to see.
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Not here :D
 
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/bwlchnantyrarian

Only 10 Miles Outside Aberystwyth, and its free apart from car parking, i have been a few times & there have always been approx in excess of 100 Red kite coming down to feed, all that is needed it a little patience over around 3 hours from the 2pm Feeding time.
 
Briony said:
Not here :D
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This comment has been bugging me for a while.

I think what you must be seeing are non-breeders, Briony. Let me explain.

Imagine there's a population of say 500 red kites, which might be around right for oxfordshire? That might consist of say 150 adult males, 150 adult females and 200 birds too young for breeding or otherwise unpaired.

During early spring the adult breeders (male + female) will be displaying over their territories, and very easy to see. By about now, each pair will have eggs, and at any one time one adult will be sitting. This cuts down the number of possibly viewable birds by 150, (or 30%) even assuming no change in behaviour.

However it is also a fact that once a pair of birds has eggs, they will immediately stop displaying so that the nest site is no longer being advertised to predators.

This is the case with all birds of prey that I know of, and most songbirds, which stop singing for the same reason. A piece of woodland which is bursting with song in May will be almost silent by early June, even though the birds are still there.

Back to red kites. It is now April 19th, and the number of kites I am seeing casually here in mid-wales is very much smaller than it was a couple of weeks ago, for the reason mentioned above. I'd be surprised if it was not the same in Oxfordshire.
 
jerry12953 said:
This comment has been bugging me for a while.

I think what you must be seeing are non-breeders, Briony. Let me explain.

Imagine there's a population of say 500 red kites, which might be around right for oxfordshire? That might consist of say 150 adult males, 150 adult females and 200 birds too young for breeding or otherwise unpaired.

During early spring the adult breeders (male + female) will be displaying over their territories, and very easy to see. By about now, each pair will have eggs, and at any one time one adult will be sitting. This cuts down the number of possibly viewable birds by 150, (or 30%) even assuming no change in behaviour.

However it is also a fact that once a pair of birds has eggs, they will immediately stop displaying so that the nest site is no longer being advertised to predators.

This is the case with all birds of prey that I know of, and most songbirds, which stop singing for the same reason. A piece of woodland which is bursting with song in May will be almost silent by early June, even though the birds are still there.

Back to red kites. It is now April 19th, and the number of kites I am seeing casually here in mid-wales is very much smaller than it was a couple of weeks ago, for the reason mentioned above. I'd be surprised if it was not the same in Oxfordshire.
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I can quite honestly say that we have not seen a decine in numbers here and never have. We have loads of pairs nesting above the house and still numerous Kites flying about.

Only my observations though, maybe different people have different opinions :shrug:
 
maybe I should set up camp in your garden :)
 
I'm guessing most wild kites aren't fed a comfortable amount of fresh chicken on a daily basis which must be great for the young :)
 
TheNissanMan said:
I'm guessing most wild kites aren't fed a comfortable amount of fresh chicken on a daily basis which must be great for the young :)
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Not chicken on a daily basis :D but they do love rabbit :D also out in the field for them is deer, lamb fat, beef offcuts, manky old hare, oh and any old chickens which happen to meet their demise, and any road kill which happens to be lying about.:thumbs:
 
The Kite's in the Chilterns really have expanded. We even have them here down in the rural parts of Middlesex, and I've seen them in Hertfordshire too. They have bred extremely well down here in the South.

Mind you, I've had those pesky parakeets flying over the garden today :shake:

Steve
 
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