breeding pairs

Since Jan 8 the pair close to the house have been in attendance on an every other day basis , which by 28th became a daily event. Since 2 Feb they have been roosting close to the nest also, and Tuesday the 8th I observed the pair repairing and adding to the nest. On this basis I visited 2 other nests and found pairs either perched near to and flying close to their nests. This is some 2 weeks earlier than what I have observed in the past. The 3 pairs are old hands not first year pairs. Indication of an early breeding season or something else?

An Update

Further to the previous posting concerning the locating of a Herefordshire roost, today, 2nd February, 2011, I again visited and observed seventeen (17) birds. Three of these were tagged in the Principality.

They were Orange 30, Black G and Orange 59.

Orange 30 was observed previously as were the details earlier in the blog.

Orange 59 was ringed in John Roberts' patch in June 2005 at Llanddeusant. The bird has not been reported since leaving the natal nest.

Black G was ringed also in John Roberts' patch in June 2008 near Crai, Sennybridge. The bird has not been reported since leaving the natal nest.

Another First in Herefordshire

Following the receipt of an email last week advising that a number of birds were seen together late in the afternoon, I have located the first known roost site in Herefordshire. It is located fairly close to the border with Shropshire.

I first located the roost in a row of trees on Sunday, 30th January, 2011, when fifteen (15) birds were located but, I was unable to read any of the three tags seen.

I must thank Barney and Tom for passing on the information that helped me to locate the roost.

I returned the following day when I was able to read three tags from a different vantage point. The tags all of Welsh origin were orange h, orange 30 and black A5.

I know all about orange h as it hatched in 2005, being one of two chicks by the pair that nested the previous year (2004) for the first time in Herefordshire since the mid 1850’s. This brood was in a different nest to that used by the adults the previous year. The roost is about eight (8) kilometres from the natal nest.

The bird found a female mate and in 2007 they reared two chicks near Craven Arms, Shropshire, in 2008 they reared three and 2009 reared three. In 2010 female died on eggs.

Orange 30 was reared from a brood of two near Tregaon in 2005; there have not been any sighting reports since leaving the natal nest.

Black A5 was reared in 2008 near Machynlleth; also there have not been any sighting reports since leaving the natal nest.

These sightings raise a number of questions, where have these two birds been since leaving the nest?

Will orange h find a new mate and nest in the same area?

Has orange 30 nested in one of the two English counties and if so where?

Will black A5 remain in the general area and find a mate and make a nest?

Will other tagged birds visit the roost site?

Only time and many hours of observations may reveal the answers.

Kite Count

At approx. 14oo hrs on Sunday the 9th, 3 kites were above the Northern escarpment of the Epynt, and around 30 mins. later a pair were on their territory on Southern edge of the Epynt.

It must be a deliberate mistake by Tony re: dates as I don't think he's a mystic!!!!!!

Bryan Jones

1st All-Wales Winter Kite Census

As previously mentioned, this weekend was the first attempt at an all-Wales co-ordinated kite count at all the known feeding stations. Counts being done elsewhere in Europe have focused on communal roosts, but roosts here are generally small and well-dispersed so this isn't practical.

Counts at the major feeding stations were as follows;

Gigrin Farm 8th Jan. 360 (Tony Cross & Richard Barrett)

Gigrin Farm, 9th Jan. 485 - 550 (Tony Cross & Chris Wells)

Nant-yr-Arian, 9th Jan. 120 - 130 (Red Liford)

Bow Street, 8th Jan. 115 (Mike Hayward)

Pont Einon, Tregaron 8th Jan 91 - 100 (Liz & Brian Snell)

Talsarn, 8th Jan. 190 (Terry & Sue Reeves)

Talsarn, 9th Jan. 250 - 300 (Liz & Brian Snell)

Llanddeusant, 9th Jan. 58 (John Roberts)

Near Sennybridge (Roost) 9th Jan. 14 (John Roberts)

Near Crymych, 9th Jan. 45 (Paddy Jenks)

Ysbyty Ifan, 9th Jan. (Roost) 1 (Rhodri Dafydd)

Bala, 9th Jan. (Roost) 0 (Dafydd Roberts)

The all-Wales total therefore was 1189 - 1326.

The Welsh Kite Trust recently estimated the Welsh population to be around 3,000, 2,000 breeding birds and at least 1,000 none breeding birds. These results show the importance of feeding stations to the kite in Wales. If counts had been conducted during the worst of the winter weather in mid-December I have no doubt they may have been at least 50% higher with nearly 50% of the Welsh population visiting one or other of the feeding stations on any given day!

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Gigrin Farm – 8th January, 2011 - Census Day 2

This visit to Gigrin Farm coincided with the first co-ordinated count of kites at all the known feeding stations in Wales.

I arrived early (1o’clock), expecting see dozens of kites perched like candles on a Christmas tree whilst awaiting the arrival of the food. How wrong I was. In fact there were two or three hundred already on the wing floating like leaves in the breeze to the north of the feeding area.

Before the food was distributed I was joined by Tony Cross with the numbers of birds having increased to about three hundred and fifty.

At 2.00pm Chris Powell delivered to the food to the feeding where numbers of expectant kites had increased to between four hundred and fifty and five hundred birds all converged in and around the feeding area swooping down to the ground to take a morsel of meat. Tony will hopefully have a more detailed count of the numbers present when he examines the series of rapid fire photographs he had taken.

We took the opportunity to record the wing tagged birds present and the details are below:-

Black/Blue: H1; 57; 68;

Black/black: a; H4; JO; 93; 77;

Black/yellow: 12;

Black/orange: 29; 51;

Black/purple: V3; 53;

Black/Green: L;

Also present in addition to the leucistic Black/Orange 51 there was the even paler untagged bird.

Co-ordinated Count at Welsh Feeding Stations

This weekend, 8th/9th January, we will be attempting the first co-ordinated count of kites at all the known feeding stations in Wales to take place at 2pm. Counts will be done by both estimating numbers present but also by a series of rapid fire photographs of the feeding area soon after feeding has taken place. This census will tie in with co-ordinated communal roost counts taking place in other European Countries where kites winter. If anyone has counts of kites at 2pm on either Saturday 8th or Sunday 9th away from a feeding station but still within Wales we would be very pleased to hear