Footnote

The previous post relates to an incident on 17th April.  The good news is that the bird has since been released fit and well and the surprise attack has not been repeated...yet!

CANADA GOOSE ATTACKS RED KITE!

I fed the kites yesterday at Bwlch Nant yr Arian and we had a great turnout of approx 100 hungry birds. There are some canada geese nesting on a tiny island between the grass feeding area and the main viewing spit of land opposite. During the feeding frenzy, one unfortunate kite got a bit too close to the island and one of the geese flew in to the kite on purpose. The kite crashed in to the lake just in front of the spectators with the goose in hot pursuit. The goose then landed on top of the kite and tried to drown it. The kite was struggling to get to the side of the lake with the goose repeatedly attempting to push it under. The attack lasted for about a minute. 

Sarah Cookson pulled the kite out and we tried to dry it off and warm it up in the foot well of my car. After an hour it didn't improve. I took the bird down to Llanbadarn Vets and left it with them. They will contact Tony Cross at some stage - hopefully the bird can make a full recovery!

Andre Marsh

Sometimes they hit the ground

At Talsarn recently Susanna witnessed at close range a kite flying into the ground at feeding time and stunning itself. It hit breast first fortunately so after a rest it recovered enough to fly off strongly so nothing broken. Susanna said it was the first ever in 15 years to misjudge the slope of the field and no, it wasn't the one-eyed one!

Kite watchers meeting Feb 26th

Tony reading his script to a rapt audience...no it was good really! Watchers met in the convivial surroundings of the Elan Valley Hotel and were kept up to date with the Trust and all its workings. Contributions from guest speakers included Steve Roberts on Honey Buzzards, always fascinating to hear plus this year he had a first class video courtesy of the BBC;those chicks are so attractive even when eating frogs' legs! Paddy Jenks also added some insights into Kestrel breeding and drew on new data from radio-tagging showing that kestrels don't even put the brakes on for improved pasture,flying straight on to any patch of tussocky grassland which unfortunately is still disappearing fast.
Other short talks were given by Leo Smith our expert in Shropshire reporting on the success of Welsh kites in England, and Chairman Mike Hayward keeping us abreast of the technicalities involved with DNA testing.
Fortunately the Welsh Kite Trust has the backing of a loyal membership and keen watchers so we can look forward to another year of caring for kites and increasingly,to monitoring other birds such as kestrels,barn owls and peregrines which are all struggling to survive intensive agriculture, rodenticides and declining prey species.

Blind in one eye but still flying White 6

Start off with my best side! This bird has been a regular at Susanna's feeding station at Talsarn and although missing a wing feather or two seems to be holding its own against the other 200 plus kites that visit. What is its history Tony? Male or female?

Aberhosan Kite Roost

At 7.45am today there was a simultaneous 'eruption' of 25 kites from the occasional roost opposite my home near Aberhosan, Machynlleth. What a privilege to see this spectacle from my bed!

New Season

Get your kit organised kitewatchers!. My closest nest has activity there. The pair have been around for the last three days, and this a.m. I saw the male at his normal perching branch during the season, and wondered where the female was. Lo and behold she was on the nest, not only tidying up some twigs, but actually sitting. I checked again in an hour, and at this moment she is still sitting. Could be an early season?