White Kite J6 goes east!

Just had an email and follow-up telephone conversation from Mick Todd a raptor re-habilitator in Lincolnshire who has just taken delivery of Black/White J6. This leucistic kite featured in the last but one post having been released at Gigrin Farm on 19th August. On Friday 9th September it turned up in Freestone near Boston, Lincolnshire (254 kms from where it was released).  It was found uninjured but exhausted and hungrily devouring a dead cat!  Plans are being made to get it back to Wales to be released at some future date.

Can you count to four!

In 25 years of climbing to kite nests I've never had the opportunity to test that out on chicks before! It has finally happened! A nest near Llanidloes, monitored by Dee Doody, has become the first nest to my knowledge in Wales ever to rear four chicks - well I say rear! In what may seem a bit of a harsh act, the three youngest were collected on behalf of the Irish re-introduction scheme. I would have dearly loved to have left all four to fledge in Wales but we were having great difficulty finding nests with more than one! Anyway, most kite pairs in Wales only produce a single chick and if you are going to found a new population it is best to use the best genetic stock you can get!

Rehab Release

The wet kite mentioned in an earlier post by Liz made a speedy recovery and was released from Gigrin Farm on 19th August, along with its rather off-colour cell mate! The pale kite is the second youngster with such abnormal colouring we know to have been reared this year. The other was ringed as a chick in a nest near Llanddeusant. Both kites flew off very strongly, adding to the increasing numbers turning up at Gigrin now that the breeding season is over.

The wet kite posing on a fence post at Gigrin Farm, just prior to flying off.

The pale cell-mate, similarly posed!

wet kite

The wet kite which was recovering in the pen at Gigrin is now flying strongly so Tony will tag,ring and release shortly. As it is a young one it is best off in the Gigrin area so it can feed easily.

wet kite

Several young birds have been picked up lately suffering from wet plumage and general weakness. Fortunately those involved have fed and sheltered the birds until ready for release or transfer to Gigrin farm's pen. One I took in, couldn't wait to get at the scraps, kindly provided by Mr Thomson, though when released into the pen it couldn't fly properly so I was glad it was safe and would be able to gain strength.
Many first year birds face huge perils and the drop-out rate should keep us all on our toes; just because we see hundreds at feeding stations it doesn't necessarily mean the battle to save the Red Kite is over.

kites on Springwatch

I haven't been able to watch every programme but did see our Leader, Tony Cross, put in an appearance up an oak tree (his natural habitat at this time of year). As usual the young kite was quite compliant and was rewarded with the smoothing down of its feathers so it looked appropriately smart for national tv, sporting S for Springwatch. Tony of course made no such concession to celebrity status and looked his usual sartorial self!
Unfortunately I heard no mention of the Welsh kite trust but I may have missed that in an earlier introduction?

Celebrating the kite's success

It was nice to hear Bill Turnbull announce on BBC breakfast TV this morning the remarkable recovery of the Red Kite in Britain in the last couple of decades which now number around 2,000 pairs. This, it was said, was all down to various conservation projects and the re-introduction programme. The information came from the 'R.S.P.B.' (I hope someone down the line mentions the cooperation of hundreds of farmers and landowners too! The 'real' unsung 'heroes' in the overall picture). Let's hope the 'Osprey' can make a similar recovery (Mmm..... I wonder if I stick a pole and nesting platform in my field I can catch the attention of some of those birds which 'linger' around the Clywedog reservoir area!)