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jvmorris
I Am The Man Who Was Not There.
MVM
join:2001-04-03
Reston, VA

jvmorris

MVM

Red Kites now in Shropshire

For anyone who may be interested, I can confirm that we do indeed have red kites in Shropshire now.

Not to the extent you'll find in mid-Wales or even over the Chilterns, but we're starting to see a few, mostly alone. Consequently, it may be too early to determine if they'll establish themselves here.

They seem to be around the Stiperstones in the Shropshire Hills, haven't heard if they've yet been spotted over near the Long Mynd (Church Stretton), but will check on that when I come back in August.

poacher 1rtd
Premium Member
join:2004-02-25
oxford UK

poacher 1rtd

Premium Member

Some info from the BBC. video as well as you`re in the UK you can see it.

An intensive conservation effort has seen red kites return to parts of England and they are now flourishing in Shropshire.

After numbers of the birds dropped over the years due to persecution, a small population in Wales managed to breed and have spread into the neighbouring county, the Welsh Kite Trust said.

The trust believes the first successful breeding in Shropshire was in 2006 when a pair fledged two young - the first successful breeding of native birds in England for 130 years.

»www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-en ··· 13603971

jvmorris
I Am The Man Who Was Not There.
MVM
join:2001-04-03
Reston, VA

jvmorris

MVM

Hey, poacher, that's my front garden in the BBC video! . . . and it's not exactly where you'll find the birds. Really, it's just an identifiable landmark in the Stiperstones and the birds are nearby but so far we've seen none in that particular area.

Not terribly surprising since they are apparently trying to be a bit misleading about exactly where the birds are nesting.

For a while there, I was beginning to think the only kites I'd see on this trip would be those over the Chilterns on the M40.

wonko3fc
Verbum sat sapienti
join:2001-06-02
UK

wonko3fc

Member

1,2,3 & counting...

We have thus many in the West Reading area for a few years now. I'm lucky enough to see them daily, sometimes only a few meters away as they glide past the windows searching for food.

Ironically, then, I think, one took a squirrel and was feeding upon it in the back here where I live. It had its wings raised over it's prey in protective mode and was being harassed by two Magpies either side. Unfortunately, by the time I managed to get my hands on my camera, it had flown off and the Magpies were feasting. It would have been a great wildlife shot with the colours of the Red Kite contrasted by the black & white of the magpies either-side a magic moment missed by the camera sadly.

We also have a Vixen and cubs in a scrub of bushes a few meters past that and my neighbour has also seen a deer in the area too. We have our own little wildlife reserve going on here and it's quite urban where I am so quite surprising really.

poacher 1rtd
Premium Member
join:2004-02-25
oxford UK

1 edit

poacher 1rtd to jvmorris

Premium Member

to jvmorris
Not terribly surprising since they are apparently trying to be a bit misleading about exactly where the birds are nesting.

They try to keep quiet about nesting sites as there are people who still kill the birds, red kites, hawkes, and falcons, some of these people should know better as they are gamekeepers. Gamekeepers seem to hate birds of prey if they can`t look after the birds they breed or can`t share a few grouse or pheasents with the birds of prey maybe they should change their job.

from the BBC

A gamekeeper working on National Trust land has been found guilty of illegally trapping birds of prey in the Peak District.

Glenn Brown, 39, of Upper Derwent Valley, was filmed using a cage with a live pigeon to catch a sparrowhawk.

Chesterfield Magistrate's Court heard Brown, of Old Henry's Schoolhouse in Upper Derwent Valley, trapped the birds to protect grouse where he worked.

»www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-en ··· 13749356

»www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13751274

John2g
Qui Tacet Consentit
Premium Member
join:2001-08-10
England

John2g to jvmorris

Premium Member

to jvmorris
I do believe I saw one a week or so ago: it was circling at too great a height to be sure. This is at the south end of the Long Mynd.

It was definitely of the hawk family.

2 days prior to that, a hawk of some description had just caught and was devouring a bird in out car park: not more than 15 yards away.

jvmorris
I Am The Man Who Was Not There.
MVM
join:2001-04-03
Reston, VA

jvmorris

MVM

John,

Good to hear from you again. I keep trying to call you when I'm over but apparently the phone number I have for you is obsolete.

Unfortunately, all my pubs in your area seem to be closed, at least on weekday afternoons! Found the pub in Wistanstow, however, and a couple of others that I'd not seen before. Bridges is closed for renovation, don't really know if it will come back as a pub or not. Status of the Craven Arms seems a bit uncertain at the moment.

What you saw, was it down along the Onney near Horderley? That would certainly strike me as a good area for them.

You will be gratified to know that I've now been driving in the UK for almost five years without an accident, not even a speeding ticket (I think!). Now, if I could just get credit for that!

Should be back in early August to stay until end of September (Michaelmas at Bishop's Castle calls, once again.)

GPS on the GARMINfone works a treat, much more accurate and able to work in more extreme conditions than the old Garmin Venture CX. Lays down a track right on top of the location specified on the OS maps almost everywhere; actually, I guess I should be impressed by the accuracy of the OS maps more than anything else for that.

Back later.