Red kites, as you may or may not know don’t migrate to warmer climes during the winter months like the osprey. What they do instead is stay in their local territory, group together for warmth (and company?) in communal roosts in the woods and survive as best as they can. The juvenile kites born in the spring have a tendency to wander, however, to explore the surrounding territories and to find a community of kites that they are happy to spend the winter months with. This wandering can extend quite some distance and is being reflected in some new data received from our 2012 satellite tagged kites. This data also shows that red kite siblings have no allegiance at all to one another. After becoming independent from their parents, they go their separate ways – surprising, I think, as they are sociable birds who enjoy each kite’s company generally.
One great story which has emerged over the last couple of weeks which perfectly demonstrates this trait is that of siblings 4V (female), 5V Ruaridh (male) and 6V Wyvis (female). This spring’s late snows had a disastrous effect on one of our monitored kite nests near to Muir of Ord when the weight of the snow caused the nest to fall from the tree. Remarkably, another nest was quickly built and a clutch of three eggs were laid, all three eggs were hatched and reared successfully by the parent birds, albeit later in the year than usual. Two of these three chicks were fitted with satellite tags and given names, Ruaridh (which means Red king in Gaellic) and Wyvis (after a local primary school which helped to raise funds for the tags). The satellite data received from these two birds show just how individual these birds are in terms of patterns of movement. Data from Ruaridh shows him to be a predominately east/west explorer, flying as far west as Dunvegan on Skye and as far east as Stonehaven, only to return to his home territory near to Tollie for the winter. Bear in mind this was a late brood so he has flown a long way in a few short months!
Thanks to Linda for this photo of Ruaridh in her garden at Muir of Ord.
Data from his sister Wyvis, however, shows her flying south, checking out the port at Stranraer and settling at the moment just South of Aberfeldy.* A startlingly different flight behaviour from her brother.
Not to be left out, the third sister 4V who wasn’t satellite tagged has recently been spotted at a kite roost in east Yorkshire, much to any Yorkshire kite enthusiast’s delight.
Photographs of 4V in Yorkshire.
*When viewing the satellite data please bear in mind that we only include positions when a kite is on the move to avoid clutter. We will also over the next few months be removing more repeat positions to make the data easier to read.
Another recent development is the sighting at Tollie of an old bird, and no, it wasn’t me! It is a kite, who was born in 1999, so is 13 years old, positively well into middle-age by kite standards, and who is the mother of another of our 2012 satellite tagged kites, Merida or 2V. She’s not been seen around since May, so it’s good to know she’s ok.
Other aspects of kite behaviour are equally as intriguing, as Ian, another intrepid volunteer at Tollie recently testified:
“I have spent many hours at on duty Tollie watching red kites and seldom has a shift passed without seeing either a local photographer or a visitor with all the kit. I was a visitor myself on Sunday 14th October when Terri, Brad and Co were running a very well attended bird feeder event.
I was in the car park watching a kite through my binoculars, it was in perfect profile perched near the top of one of the dead trees near the approach lane corner. It was quite bright at the time, but the bird was just too far away to distinguish its tag and I’m thinking again time I invested in a new scope or camera.
This kite was sharing a tree with several crows when suddenly it tilted forward and launched a huge squirt of white excrement right over a crow about six foot behind it. It lasted long enough to appear as a white missile. It would have made a great photograph.. Where were you Ronald and the rest?
I looked around to see if anyone else may have witnessed the event and luckily one chap, a first time visitor, was down at the car park entrance watching the same bird. He swears that the kite looked over it’s shoulder and took aim at the crow. I know some birds are capable of shooting waste some distance so as to clear their nests but is it conceivable that this could be a weapon as well?”
Many bird species, especially gulls are well-known for this behaviour, but red kites? It would be interesting to have your thoughts and experiences on the matter in the comments box below.
Briefly, other Tollie news. Within the next few days, visitors to Tollie will notice a screen up at the viewing window. We have noticed a reduction in feeding activity at peak visitor times (frustratingly) so this will, hopefully, screen us from the birds to make them feel secure enough to come down to the table. Also, there is a new bird feeder to the west of the car park, which is a hit with many varieties of tit and of course, the woodpeckers, which are always a joy to observe.
Anyway, bye from me and I hope to see you at Tollie soon! Andrea
Just getting reports in of one of our kites in France, not one of the above birds, but this year's lot do seem to be a bit more adventurous than last years.