Ballymac Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 This is taken directly from Countryside Alliance Ireland website. Planning for success Our proposal to release 70 red kites over a three-year period will meet the need to further enhance the UK population and take a further conservation step towards protecting its future. Our proposed release area in southern County Down. It is an important link in a long-term vision to establish sustainable and healthy population centres of red kite, which will, with effective protection and monitoring, re-colonise all suitable habitats across lowland Britain and Ireland over time and secure the future for the red kite. With the successful release and eventual establishment of red kites in Northern Ireland, we also aim to create opportunities whereby people can see red kites, learn about them and get involved in the project. Through this project, we aim to bring people and wildlife closer together and to link the red kites with wider messages about Northern Ireland’s biodiversity There were 27 kites released a few months ago in the Mourne Mountains ( or that general area) only one was discovered over the weekend, shot and with its' wing and leg tags removed. This is the type of publicity that shooters do not need. How are red kites received in other parts of the uk, aare they seen as a threat to young poults etc ? are they shot at by game keepers when no one is around ? a long walk and a spade ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 Where I live I would almost say we have an infestation of them, not a good word to use but if you are in the right area on the right day you can see 15-20 at a time. Of course that means the re-introduction has been a complete success, but they seem very reluctant to spread they wings (excuse the pun) They are spreading out slowly now but there are still densly populated areas. As far as I am aware they are not seen as a threat to poults, as the feed on carrion, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloudwalker Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 We have a lot around here too. Great to see, especially when they are in a group. I haven't heard of any problems with them from the keeper on my shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballymac Posted September 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 that's good just need to get some individuals over here to realise that. As usual it will be the minority that will get us shooters a bad name, joe public will think we are all the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 Where I live I would almost say we have an infestation of them, not a good word to use but if you are in the right area on the right day you can see 15-20 at a time. Of course that means the re-introduction has been a complete success, but they seem very reluctant to spread they wings (excuse the pun) They are spreading out slowly now but there are still densly populated areas. As far as I am aware they are not seen as a threat to poults, as the feed on carrion, no? are you sure thats Kites rather than Buzzards? I'm not too far from you we do have a pair of kites but they almost seem territorial and range over a good 10 square miles that I've seen. However buzzards we have plenty and on a good sunny day can see them all round. They may feed on carion but i have seen different. Like most things keepers don't mind seeing a few but when you start talking large numbers they take a different view. Of course you never know exactly what happens when no one is looking and I know buzzards round me have been encouraged to move on but Kites have always been held a bit in awe as we only have the pair and they do make a good sight. That said if you watch they do put up all the pigeons as they fly round and send all the game birds heading for cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 I know the difference between a Kite and a Buzzard I have seen 6 working a small paddock and have managed to take a photo of 3 wheeling overhead, no more than 30 or 40 feet apart, so not exactly territorial, completely the opposite in fact.. Here you go, heres 2, the 3rd went left just as I got ready to take the picture - I think they are Kites . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyk Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 One reason the red kites in South Oxon/Bucks were originally reluctant to move on is when they first became established certain members of the public started to feed them. One old dear regularly put out cat food in her back garden to attract them down - the RSPCA had to put a letter in the local paper asking people to stop! That said, they are magnificent birds and I always enjoy watching them circling over the fields behind my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 They are fantastic and still impressive to see, even though they are a routine sight. If anyone local (ish) wants to see them in quantity, get up the top of the hill above the Hellfire Caves at West Wycombe of a sunny breezy day, if you can't see a half a dozen or more - get your eyes tested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty J Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 We have a few on our shoot, 7 to 10 regulars. We found one that had hit power lines last year so we rang the number on its tags, turns out it had been released in Wales so it must have traveled a good 250 miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chard Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 They're carrion eaters and if anybody tries to tell you otherwise, tell them to **** off They are strangely reluctant to spread out, even though they range over a large area. Even before all these introductions, the surviving population in Mid-Wales seemed reluctant to colonise neighbouring valleys and I think it was that that made them try these artificial introductions, to try and speed up the "natural" spread, However, each population that has been introduced seems to stick like glue to their home patch. Having said that, it is now quite common to see odd wanderers, just about anywhere in Britain, I've seen quite a lot of odd ones in areas away from the introductions, but they never seem to pair up and breed. It's true what Ballymac says, shooting will not benefit from the news that they're being shot. If there was ever a bird that has caught the public's imagination, it's this one. Given that they're not even a threat to game, any knobend that shoots one of these, is doing shooting a major disservice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 They are fantastic and still impressive to see, even though they are a routine sight. If anyone local (ish) wants to see them in quantity, get up the top of the hill above the Hellfire Caves at West Wycombe of a sunny breezy day, if you can't see a half a dozen or more - get your eyes tested And as if to prove the point, here are half a dozen out of a flock(?) of 11, working an area no bigger than about an acre. Picture is off my mobile if I had had my camera there, and they would lined up nicley for me I could have got at least a few more in. There were a couple of shot rabbits left near the footpath, so it looks like someone maybe feeding them as jimmyk said further up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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