Red Kites - South East England?
Discussion
All,
I holiday regularly in Wales (climbing and hiking - so some pretty remote places) and have got used to the sight and sound of red kites around, but over the last few weeks I've heard what is the unmistakable sound of a Kite over the fields behind my house in East Sussex and I'm sure that I can see them at quite a height, circling.
I'm aware that the population of them is growing nationally, but anyone else know if they are spreading into the South East? SWMBO thinks I'm going mad and need my ears/eyes checked.
Cheers
Steve
I holiday regularly in Wales (climbing and hiking - so some pretty remote places) and have got used to the sight and sound of red kites around, but over the last few weeks I've heard what is the unmistakable sound of a Kite over the fields behind my house in East Sussex and I'm sure that I can see them at quite a height, circling.
I'm aware that the population of them is growing nationally, but anyone else know if they are spreading into the South East? SWMBO thinks I'm going mad and need my ears/eyes checked.
Cheers
Steve
VeegasRS6 said:
All,
I holiday regularly in Wales (climbing and hiking - so some pretty remote places) and have got used to the sight and sound of red kites around, but over the last few weeks I've heard what is the unmistakable sound of a Kite over the fields behind my house in East Sussex and I'm sure that I can see them at quite a height, circling.
I'm aware that the population of them is growing nationally, but anyone else know if they are spreading into the South East? SWMBO thinks I'm going mad and need my ears/eyes checked.
Cheers
Steve
Nothing wrong with you. I holiday regularly in Wales (climbing and hiking - so some pretty remote places) and have got used to the sight and sound of red kites around, but over the last few weeks I've heard what is the unmistakable sound of a Kite over the fields behind my house in East Sussex and I'm sure that I can see them at quite a height, circling.
I'm aware that the population of them is growing nationally, but anyone else know if they are spreading into the South East? SWMBO thinks I'm going mad and need my ears/eyes checked.
Cheers
Steve
There is a very large Red Kite Population centered around the Chilterns in Oxfordshire, however they have been spreading out over the last five years, I see them regularly in South Surrey now (nr Farnham) and I have seen them all across the north and south downs on occasions.
My parents are in a Chilterns village and the kites are overhead constantly.
Much of it started from a Cafe in Stokenchurch - http://www.chrissmotel.co.uk/
But seriously - http://www.chilternsaonb.org/about-chilterns/red-k...
Much of it started from a Cafe in Stokenchurch - http://www.chrissmotel.co.uk/
But seriously - http://www.chilternsaonb.org/about-chilterns/red-k...
These were re-introduced into the Chilterns at the end of the 80's. I remember seeing the odd one hovering over the M40 and being quite impressed. Now they are everywhere. A huge success by any measure.
I live in Berks, and there are so many around where I live that although is a great privilege, you tend to get a bit blasé about them being there. I've seen a couple of dozen at least following a ploughing tractor, a few often swoop over our house (in town) when we're having a bbq to see if anything's going spare.
I'm sure they could spread around the country without much problem, they seem to inexplicably be able to survive in pretty high concentrations in any rural or urban environment, certainly compared to any other bird of prey, so there must be enough to scavenge from, or smaller wildlife to eat, as they aren't out and out hunters.
I remember a quote (from Shakespeare?) who described London as "a city of kites and crows", possibly from happily living off the rubbish in the streets. So they certainly can be common, if not a pest.
My wife doesn't like them. She thinks they hover about and look like vultures. They used to eye our daughter up in a rather suspicious manner when she was in the garden as a baby. I think they are great, though I wonder what impact to the overall ecosystem is having them spread widely.
I live in Berks, and there are so many around where I live that although is a great privilege, you tend to get a bit blasé about them being there. I've seen a couple of dozen at least following a ploughing tractor, a few often swoop over our house (in town) when we're having a bbq to see if anything's going spare.
I'm sure they could spread around the country without much problem, they seem to inexplicably be able to survive in pretty high concentrations in any rural or urban environment, certainly compared to any other bird of prey, so there must be enough to scavenge from, or smaller wildlife to eat, as they aren't out and out hunters.
I remember a quote (from Shakespeare?) who described London as "a city of kites and crows", possibly from happily living off the rubbish in the streets. So they certainly can be common, if not a pest.
My wife doesn't like them. She thinks they hover about and look like vultures. They used to eye our daughter up in a rather suspicious manner when she was in the garden as a baby. I think they are great, though I wonder what impact to the overall ecosystem is having them spread widely.
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