Red kite siting.

[figgy]

Sure was one above me Sunday late afternoon being mobbed by a crow as it glided around and then drifted off. Though it was a buzzard really high up until i saw it was a good bit smaller than the crow.

[Mice!]

red kites aren't smaller than crows?

I watched a proper tussle last week with a buzzard and a rook, they were really going at each other. Never understood why the buzzard doesn't just grab the corvid?

[loriusgarrulus]

Red Kites tend to be a bit bigger than buzzards and have a swallow tail.

Could have been a kestrel the crows were mobbing.

2 hours ago, figgy said:

Sure was one above me Sunday late afternoon being mobbed by a crow as it glided around and then drifted off. Though it was a buzzard really high up until i saw it was a good bit smaller than the crow.

 

[figgy]

Maybe but it didn't look like a kestrel. Full triangle tail shape and was up quite high just riding the thermals like a buzzard would.

[old'un]

5 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, well on my friends farm in the vale of around 1000s acres  going back 10 years there where 20/30 coveys of partridge and quite a few ground nesting birds, now lucky to see 2 coveys, adjacent farm put down 500 partridge a few years back hoping to encourage breeding now all gone, dont get me wrong i to love to see the red kite but their success has i am sure been the detriment of other bird species

Their numbers and success are due to artificial feeding…..and not what the RSPB would have us believe that their numbers have found a natural balance between predator and prey, in some areas their numbers are totally unnatural due to large amounts of meat being put out for them, it would be interesting to see what would happen to their numbers if they stopped this feeding.

Red Kites are opportunists and will eat carrion and anything they can catch, be it young or adult birds to voles, rabbits or earth worms.

[oldypigeonpopper]

10 minutes ago, old'un said:

Their numbers and success are due to artificial feeding…..and not what the RSPB would have us believe that their numbers have found a natural balance between predator and prey, in some areas their numbers are totally unnatural due to large amounts of meat being put out for them, it would be interesting to see what would happen to their numbers if they stopped this feeding.

Red Kites are opportunists and will eat carrion and anything they can catch, be it young or adult birds to voles, rabbits or earth worms.

hello oldun, we use to take a lot of pleasure in seeing coveys of partrige and a small selection of ground nesting birds but sadly gone now

[moose man]

Starting to see the odd one or two down here in East Sussex over the last couple of years , I don’t suppose at the rate they seem to be spreading it will be long before there as common as the buzzard..

 

[anser2]

14 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, well on my friends farm in the vale of around 1000s acres  going back 10 years there where 20/30 coveys of partridge and quite a few ground nesting birds, now lucky to see 2 coveys, adjacent farm put down 500 partridge a few years back hoping to encourage breeding now all gone, dont get me wrong i to love to see the red kite but their success has i am sure been the detriment of other bird species

Partridge numbers have crashed over the whole country. A lot of research has been done and while predators do have a small impact its modern farming methods that produce very few insects or weed seeds the partridge chicks need and a lack of unsprayed winter stubbles the adults need. Some guys have been surveying flying insects and fount a 60% decrease over the last decade. Thats a 60% drop in the important caterpillers the partridge chicks need in spring.

[Benthejockey]

Big population over Welshpool way. Bit uncommon to see double figures over potters recycling plant or up on the long mountain on a hot day. 

[Mr gen]

16 hours ago, old'un said:

Their numbers and success are due to artificial feeding…..and not what the RSPB would have us believe that their numbers have found a natural balance between predator and prey, in some areas their numbers are totally unnatural due to large amounts of meat being put out for them, it would be interesting to see what would happen to their numbers if they stopped this feeding.

Red Kites are opportunists and will eat carrion and anything they can catch, be it young or adult birds to voles, rabbits or earth worms.

Their numbers do seem to be a unnatural around my area as they out number Buzzards on the freshly worked fields, whereas we didn't have any 10-15 years ago.  I still love to see them about as they are an amazing bird to watch but i have no doubt their numbers will be having an impact on the rest of the wildlife and with them being such an opportunistic and brave bird, as their numbers continue to grow and food gets more fought over, it might not be long before they take to scavenging in the towns and cities as it is not uncommon to see them  skirting the roof tops where i live.

[Mice!]

11 hours ago, anser2 said:

Partridge numbers have crashed over the whole country. A lot of research has been done and while predators do have a small impact its modern farming methods that produce very few insects or weed seeds the partridge chicks need and a lack of unsprayed winter stubbles the adults need. Some guys have been surveying flying insects and fount a 60% decrease over the last decade. Thats a 60% drop in the important caterpillers the partridge chicks need in spring.

No no, you must blame the BOP.

[Vince Green]

Lots of them round here, no pigeons, sparrows, thrushes, finches etc anymore, but lots of kites.  Makes you wonder doesn't it?

Edited May 30, 2018 by Vince Green

[ClemFandango]

2 hours ago, Vince Green said:

Lots of them round here, no pigeons, sparrows, thrushes, finches etc anymore, but lots of kites.  Makes you wonder doesn't it?

No. It doesn't. Red kites will have no impact on those species whatsoever. 

[JDog]

10 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

No. It doesn't. Red kites will have no impact on those species whatsoever. 

That is quite wrong. Red Kites will take the young of all of those species. I have witnessed this myself.

[ClemFandango]

6 minutes ago, JDog said:

That is quite wrong. Red Kites will take the young of all of those species. I have witnessed this myself.

I doubt it very much.

you are saying you have witnessed a red kite take pigeon, sparrow, thrush and finch chicks?  

Are you sure they were kites you saw? 

Edited May 30, 2018 by ClemFandango
pressed the post button too soon.

[JDog]

2 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

I doubt it very much. 

Are you sure they were kites you saw? 

I am perfectly well aware what a Red Kite looks like and I have seen them take young thrushes from a nest. 

You should be more circumspect with your doubting. You are clearly wrong in this instance.

 

[ClemFandango]

Just now, JDog said:

I am perfectly well aware what a Red Kite looks like and I have seen them take young thrushes from a nest. 

You should be more circumspect with your doubting. You are clearly wrong in this instance.

 

You are telling me you have seen a red kite rob the nest of a bird that predominantly nests in dense cover? 

[JDog]

10 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

You are telling me you have seen a red kite rob the nest of a bird that predominantly nests in dense cover? 

Absolutely. The bird in question was Turdus viscivorus and the nest was 20' up in a Scots pine tree. I was subsequently told by the owner of the garden in which the nest was sited that all of the chicks were taken within twenty four hours.

 

[old'un]

42 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

No. It doesn't. Red kites will have no impact on those species whatsoever. 

If they are not taking any of above, what are they living on?

[timmytree]

33 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

No. It doesn't. Red kites will have no impact on those species whatsoever. 

Friends of mine recently saw red kites raiding rooks nests for the youngsters.

[JDog]

7 minutes ago, old'un said:

If they are not taking any of above, what are they living on?

'There are none so blind as those who will not see'.

[39TDS]

2 hours ago, Vince Green said:

Lots of them round here, no pigeons, sparrows, thrushes, finches etc anymore, but lots of kites.  Makes you wonder doesn't it?

People were forever saying the same things about Buzzards when their population increased.

I can only speak from my own experiences but there are lots of Buzzards here and there are lots of everything else as well. The only thing I can think of that has shown a noticeable decline is Hares and Lapwing. That could be due to many things, of which Buzzards are a definite possibility, but my guess would be badgers more than anything.

Most other stuff has increased rather than decreased, I don't think that's because there are less hares though.

[ClemFandango]

16 minutes ago, JDog said:

Absolutely. The bird in question was Turdus viscivorus and the nest was 20' up in a Scots pine tree. I was subsequently told by the owner of the garden in which the nest was sited that all of the chicks were taken within twenty four hours.

 

Well I'll take your word for it. I am part of a Red Kite monitoring project, and apart from climbing nests, ringing chicks, identifying and recording prey remains etc, I have spent hours and hours over the last seven years observing them and have never seen the behaviour you describe, nor have I ever found remains of any of those species in any nests. 

Perhaps that is die to the availability of other, easier won prey in this area? 

13 minutes ago, old'un said:

If they are not taking any of above, what are they living on?

All sorts of things, predominantly invertebrates and carrion. 

11 minutes ago, timmytree said:

Friends of mine recently saw red kites raiding rooks nests for the youngsters.

I can believe that, totally different bird and a big open nest, easily visible. I have seen Rook and Jackdaw remains in Kite nests. 

5 minutes ago, JDog said:

'There are none so blind as those who will not see'.

That cuts both ways though doesn't it? I only saw that after I had literally just posted that I would take your word for it on what you had seen. 

Edited May 30, 2018 by ClemFandango

[Walker570]

They were certainly taking partridges on the area I stalked on down near Marlborough 10yrs ago. Saw one bounced by a buzzard who stole the partridge it had just taken and was about to pluck.  Similarly on the same patch of ground saw a red kite bounce a peregrin which had just taken a woodpigeon and the kite was then bounced by a buzzard.  The peregrin and the kite complained bitterly but the buzzard was taking little notice.    Basically they are another hook bill which will eat anything which provides the opportunity in the area it lives in.  Lots of arable, lots of worms etc.  I love the bird but will get out of control numbers wise like the buzzard and the badger for that's sake.

Edited May 30, 2018 by Walker570

[stumfelter]

I have witnessed a sheep being driven off a partridges nest by a red kite as they were both trying to get the eggs. Unfortunately for the two of them as they were quarreling a muntjac nipped in and took the whole clutch.