volt

[Tim Lamb]

Red Kites.

According to the BBC we are saving the failing population in Spain by sending them batches of 30 to invigorate their declining numbers.

Does it ever occur to the birders that a species may be in decline because of food shortage rather than reluctance to breed or intervention by gamekeepers?

Looking out of my office window, I would be surprised not to see at least two Kites patrolling for food or circling in a thermal for the homeward run. Kindly don't ask when I last saw a Kestrel hovering or a Barn Owl at dusk!

As for predating Rabbits! Does anyone really believe that?

[Colin Bignell]

aka sending immigrants back where they came from.

Shortage of food is mentioned as one of several factors. Presumably a reintroduction programme will address that factor, as well as the others.

I usually only see buzzards hunting in pairs. All the Kites I have seen have been solitary.

IME Kestrels are not that uncommon, but I'm not usually out at dusk to see whether there are any Barn Owls about.

Why not? They are big birds when you see them up close.

[Joe]

It would appear to the casual observer that there are far too many Red Kites in the Berkshire/Buckinghamshire area for them to eat only carrion.

Robin Page

so, too.

[Andy Burns]

Reasonably common above roadside verges

Heard more than seen here

You can pay £7 to stand in a welsh field and watch them ...

[Andrew]

I hear (mostly) and see buzzards every summer over the South Downs and just to the north.

[Andrew]

But the farmer is paid by the RSPB to feed them lumps of meat every day

The Spanish version of RSPB (if there is one) will need to do the same if the 50 pairs are going to survive.

[Clive Arthur]

<snip>

Dim people feed them. They're a common sight in Reading and there are certain places where there are flocks of several tens of them.

What is amusing is seeing one of these birds being harried by a crow. It seems like the crow is huffing and puffing like it's just smoked twenty Bensons, and the kite just makes one casual flap to escape.

[Tim Lamb]

Here they live on Field Voles and carrion.

Indeed. These are individuals and not hunting together. Just a measure of numbers.

I'm about until dusk. Not seen either in 4 years.

They are. At the back of my yard is an acre of unmanaged horse pasture. Well larded with Rabbit warrens in the hedgerows. Plenty of age/size choices. I have yet to see a Kite carry a Rabbit but I have seen one dive to pick up a Grasshopper!

The header was meant to be vOT. Turnpike threw it out as an error but then ignored my *ignore* instruction!

[Colin Bignell]

That's where I see them and also the kites. In winter the buzzards seem to save their energy and, instead of flying, stand in a field and run after any prey they see.

[Colin Bignell]

I wondered how the subject line related to the content.

[Tim Lamb]

I have had them *follow the plough* after worms. The Crows are a bit wary but don't attack them the way they do Kites.

>

[Colin Bignell]

That is usually a huge flock of seagulls around here. They can be seen from a distance as a white cloud that occasionally lifts to fly to a more recently ploughed bit.

I don't see many crows. Lots of rooks and the occasional jackdaw joining them though.

[Brian Gaff]

I would have hoped somebody had done the study first or its a waste of time. In country areas you do still see those things you mention, but not so much in towns. Too many wires and stuff to collide with. Brian

[ajh]

It's strange that I do not often see kestrels now in NW Surrey whereas in the 60s they seemed to hunt on the grassy central strips on dual carriageways, these are often concrete barriers now.

Then we started seeing buzzards migrating in from the west and kestrel sightings went down. Similarly when red kites migrated from the chilterns buzzard sightings went down.

I hardly see owls or bats anymore but then the insect population has crashed.

[ajh]

Yes I saw buzzards following the plough for worms, also used to see lapwings at it too but little ploughing done locally now.

[alan_m]

I've just come back from Shropsire (and close to the Welsh boarder) and regularly eight red kites could be seen circling in the local thermals. The local crows and jacks were often seen mobbing any nearby kite.

[alan_m]

A couple of years ago I built a cheap bat detector kit, from Ebay, and was surprised by the number of bats it detected. At dusk they appeared to be hunting in the higher ground for around 15 minutes than moved down to the local river.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I woz having a glass with a friend in the garden today and a f****ng HARE popped op from under a bush and ambled away.

[The Natural Philosopher]

See my windscreen. No it hasn't

[Bob Martin]

Your experience is atypical.