Somerset Bird News
Around 40+ Red Kites and 3 Black Kites have been reported in SW Cornwall yesterday and today. There's a high probability that some of these will travel through Somerset in the coming days. Worth keeping an eye to the sky perhaps.
NPW
Many Buzzards and at least 2 Red Kites drifting East on the thermals over the Brendon Hills yesterday. Hobbys also present.
Was lucky to see a Red kite at work at Kittisford yesterday morning 9.15am soaring WNW towards Wiviliscombe not asingle wing beat was seen in 10 minutes+ as it passed through
One Red Kite heading E. high over Spaxton at 7 am Friday.
At least SiX red kites (checked carefully but alas no black!) over Westhay Heath at 4pm - headed off high to the east...
One Red Kite drifting North East over Black Hill on the Quantocks this lunchtime.
And one red kite soaring high over Queen Camel in South Somerset, around 4pm, circling gradually eastwards.
Red Kite over bridge area of Meare heath today at 12.30ish drifting north,also several hobbies up,also drake garganey,cuckoo,GWE,Bittern,2 Marsh harrier,Garden wblr,S'hawk,2GS woody & comic tern,female cuckoo heard bubbling.
Between 4 pm and 5 pm today, 4 red kites drifted East over the Brendon Hills towards Taunton.
Red kite over Martock at 9.35am. Eyes in the sky today everyone !!
13 through Steart Pt between 9:00 and 10:30 during WeBS count this a.m. - 7 in 1 one flock.
Anyone know why we are seeing so many ?
Single red kite over Street YHA, sharing a thermal with lesser blackbacks before drifting east towards the Hood monument. On the same walk, I saw a female sparrowhawk carrying prey, which I'm pretty sure was a swallow, as it appeared to have tail streamers. That would have been a good chase to see!
I live about 5 miles from Somerset (Gillingham). Convinced that I had a 5 second view of a Black Kite this morning. Just got back from Spain, so not exactly out-of-practice with this bird!
From garden between Blue Anchor and Old Cleeve
Today: 9 Red Kites east between 11am and 3.10pm singly or small groups. Also lots of Buzzards and 3 Hobbies.
Yesterday: 7 Red Kites, 6 of these spent all afternoon until 5.30pm around five large fields that had been cut and the grass was being turned and collected. The birds were either picking food from the surface without landing or pouncing down and landing on some sort of small prey and there must have been great views from the tractors. 2 also were seen squabbling over the remains of a pheasant. 4 were resting together in a field at one point although distant. None were tagged and some were moulting with several feathers missing. Got some record shots of some birds on the ground.
Great records everyone! You must have accounted for around 40 individual Red Kites over Somerset in the last couple of days. Pity John Howell didn't get a better view of the Kite sp. he saw. A few remain loitering in Cornwall so those who have not yet made contact still have a fair chance to do so over at least the next couple of weeks or so.
Concerning Amelia's question. The jury is still out but the evidence suggests that most are 2nd calendar year birds (hatched in 2014), probably in Britain. Chris Gladman mentioned that he noted some individuals were moulting, typically missing inner primary or outer secondary (or both) feathers on the wings.
Due to the highly successful reintroduction efforts in Britain in recent years, the number of breeding pairs has soared. I couldn't immediately unearth a figure but from memory I think current estimates are around 2,500+ breeding pairs, with most in England.
Kites are highly social birds so gatherings are common, particularly outside of the breeding season. Some of the fledged youngster appear to range widely, particularly southwards over autumn and the winter period. So when their natural instinct drives them to return to the natal areas in springtime, it's not really surprising that some end up in groups
The English Channel represents an ecological barrier so they probably gather loosely on the French side waiting for suitable conditions to cross. When such conditions occur, concentrations develop in SW Cornwall at peak times, before they disperse again and travel Northwards to the Midlands and beyond.
NPW
PS. The estimated carrying capacity for the species in Britain is around 10,000 pairs so providing we can effectively contain those people who persecute these and other birds of prey, intentionally or unintentionally (eg. illegal poison baits aimed at foxes), there's real hope that the Red Kite will soon return once more to breed in Somerset.
Pleasantly surprised to see a Red Kite passing over our garden (about a mile west of Norton Fitzwarren) c14.20 hours today. It was heading east towards Norton Manor Camp and, no doubt, beyond. Unfortunately I did not spot the bird until it was overhead, but managed to get a few hasty photos. Selection on my website.
One Red Kite between Chard Junction & Perry Street this morning at 07:50, very low, heading towards Chard.
single red kite has been around Evercreech,Westcombe Milton Clevedon area for the past two days feeding in freshly mown fields.
Yesterday, someone reported a probable black kite just outside of somerset at East Stour, only a little way from John Howells sighting. Looks promising.
There were 5 Red Kites over Ilminster at 14:48 today. A great sight anf then they headed off in the Taunton direction
A single Kite drifting south over West Chinnock this afternoon at 2;15pm.
I did not have my 'bins' with me but it appeared to be uniformly dark underneath, no light patches at all. The tail was quite forked though so we'll just call it a Kite.:)
8 Red Kites south-west over Blagdon Lake from 1220-13325 hrs all heading over the Mendips towards Cheddar/Axbridge. Nige.
Picture of two of the Red Kites over Ilminster this afternoon
After two Red Kites seen to the NW from Meare Heath hide at c1:30pm, six flew SE slowly over Ham Wall at c16:30.
Lots of silage cutting in Mark, Kingsway yesterday - 2 red kites seen soaring over the cut fields in the afternoon and one still here this morning.
Single Red Kite low over m5 between j21 (weston) and j22 (B-o-S) accompanied by 2 crows yesterday at 1600.
May 20th: I saw a Red Kite flying in a northerly direction whilst I was travelling between Langport and Long Sutton today at 11.40 a.m..
Did anyone spot this bird -- it was being mobbed by several crows (as usual)!!
One circling lazily seemingly going nowhere over West Sedge Moor this morning.
Presumably these late spring influxes are juveniles birds of British stock that have taken to wintering in Iberia and are just returning home for a few lazy days of summer?
Any further thoughts?
Portland and the S.West headlands don't see them come in. They aren't reported from Brittany in numbers - so where do they appear from to congregate in the bottom of Cornwall each May ? Find it strange that we get all these Kites passing east over us at this time of year but why don't we all see them traveling West in the first place ? Perhaps you're right with Spain Nigel !
See the Post on the subject of migration from continent (or lack of it) by Ken Hall, or see his blog entry for 21st May here . . . www.kjhall.org.uk/lponews.htm
I thought that he must be wrong, and so did a bit of research myself, and can only find evidence to back-up the theory that these Red Kites DIDN'T come over from France, but were already here (probably non-breeders) and just took advantage of the sun.
Evidence being:
1. Birdtrack - shows the biggest peak (6% returns) in March, with a smaller peak (5 %) last week.
2. BWP - "Return movement through Europe begins late Feb; some reach northernmost breeding grounds late March though passage continues into April."
Your comment Pete hardly supports the report of 71 Kites in SW Cornwall last week and has occurred thereabouts in recent years. Also BWP is over 20 years old and was written before the UK-wide population became established so considered an unreliable guide to this matter.
Thanks Nigel. My mistake; BWP and Birdtrack are irrelevant.
I know it's not Somerset but thought it may be of interest following on from the the red kite discussions above.
On my way back from London on the M4, close to the Newbury turning, I noticed several kites flying around. As I glanced back at them, I then noticed (I would guess) c50 more, which brought back memory's of my visit to Gigrin farm. Could of been around 30 as I was driving at motorway speeds, however it was a very large group all flying together in a mass mess of Kites.
Also outside Somerset but a red kite was over the Tyntesfield estate in North Somerset on Wednesday evening (one of these birds moving north?) I've seen a handful of red kites over the period of a decade here (Belmont Hill and the Failand ridge), but few other places in North Somerset. It would be interesting to know why.
That area on the Berks, Wilts, Hans border Lee is a hot spot for kites. We have a house a few miles south west of Hungerford and can have half a dozen over the garden. Occasionally I come across them in the lanes feeding on road kill, stunning close up. Part of the Chiltern's release programme and wonderful to see lazily flapping around. I also see a lot of red kites now on my regular trips up the A1(M) north of Leeds where they soar over the motorway, again from a release project in Yorkshire.
A Red Kite seen on the way home from Sherborne at 5pm nr the outskirts of Yeovil
This afternoon drifting very slowly West just North of Crewkerne. Great views as it was being mobbed by a crow.
