Red Kites

[sunny-dave]

I know this should be in Twitching - but I was just overawed by the number of Kites I saw when I was in Wales this week.

This is a bit of (rather wonky) video I took with my happy-snappy camera when they were feeding the Red Kites at the Bwlch Nant yr Arian centre (the pictures get better about 30 seconds into the clip).

There were around 80 or 90 Kites there - an amazing sight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peuw8TAI7S8

[bednobs]

i don't understand why there is such a big fuss about them - they seem to be everywhere!

[sunny-dave]

HD and full screen gives a better image.

[tiggerblue10]

What time of day was that filmed?

[sunny-dave]

3pm on Wednesday this week

[gness]

The fuss, Bednobs is the recovery of an almost extinct and beautiful bird and they are not everywhere!

Wonderful Dave.....Wales was once the only place we could go to see one...if we were lucky enough......your video is a celebration that should teach us to care for the species we are close to losing now. xx

[bednobs]

ok, perhaps i just live in an area where they are then. My husband is always going on about them, but we see them allt he time, one came into our garden the other day

[grasscarp]

That was lovely and I found very calming. Thank you for sharing it sunny dave.

[tiggerblue10]

Not knowing much about kites or any birds for that matter, I do find it awesome when I see huge flocks of them flying around. Its usually around dusk.

[Frank97]

Wow, I don't think I ever seen one, let alone 80!

[EvianBaby]

They are everywhere round here. They're actually causing a nuisance now because there's too many of them. (that's not just an opinion I've come up with)

[tonyav]

Mmmmmm, I see that dave has a penchant for big birds !.

[bednobs]

they seem petty widespread - according to the rspb
Wales,Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire area, Northamptonshire, Yorkshire, Gateshead, Cumbria, berkshire,Dumfries and Galloway, Stirling-shire and west Perthshire, around Black Isle in Ross-shire, and on the outskirts of Aberdeen City, Northern ireland .

i clearly had a somewhat skewed concept of nearly extinct, probably from living in one of the areas that they are living!
Sunny d i'm sure your video is lovely, but i can't see it at the moment :(

[Barmaid]

Crikey, I've never seen that many. There are quite a few in this area now after a successful breeding programme. I very often see a couple over the house (the chickens hate them).

at my parents' house though, I regularly see 6 or 7.

[sunny-dave]

Seems to work better in Chrome than Firefox for some reason.

[tiggerblue10]

The only birds I see on a regular basis is pigeons so its nice when I see other birds. I don't get much of a variety in South London!

[Frank97]

[I] Wales,Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire area, Northamptonshire, Yorkshire, Gateshead, Cumbria, berkshire,Dumfries and Galloway, Stirling-shire and west Perthshire, around Black Isle in Ross-shire, and on the outskirts of Aberdeen City, Northern ireland [I]
That'd why I've not seen one then, I'm in Somerset.

[carrust]

I only get passage migrants round here S Yorks. If they try to breed they get exterminated by gamekeepers:-(

[gness]

Worry not Frank...they are on their way. Kites were extinct in England and Scotland and very nearly in Wales....persecution mainly by gamekeepers with no reason....Kites scavenge and are lazy feeders....not interested in live prey....the odd worm, frog or rat maybe. Introduced Kites came from Scandanavia in the late eighties and my daughter grew up watching them at Fineshade in an introduction programme. She move to Somerset then Devon and on visits we followed their progress south. She has seen one in your area...she's a passionate birder...so if she reports more I'll let you know! x

[gingejbee]

We have red kites flying over us, all day everyday....quite boring, actually!

[gness]

Aww ginge...'tis a sad person who watches the flight of a magnificent bird and thinks....boring. :-(