Kites are certainly spreading around the country since the several release schemes,not sure of the numbers in Suffolk though no doubt local members with have some info. They are certainly doing in certain parts of our patch in N.Yorks in other parts they are persecuted.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
Wendy S said:in other parts they are persecuted.
Isn't that illegal, amongst others?
My Gallery
"Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way." John Muir
Yes Marina it is very much illegal, but this doesn't stop the routine and large scale destruction of birds of prey and other native predators in the English uplands and elsewhere. Any wildlife that inconveniences the grouse moor managers is removed legally or illegally by sections of society that consider themselves to be above the law. It is a national scandal which, hopefully, is beginning to have the spotlight thrown on it.
Every day a little more irate about bird of prey persecution, and I have a cat - Got a problem with that?
Had some over Gloucestershire where l live to my surprise a few years now, but don't stay long.
I am aware there is friction but I thought RSPB has it under control to a considerable extend. We were told there were issues with the farmers on the Isle of Mull (they thought white tailed and golden eagles kill newborn lambs) as well as with the pheasant and grouse farms in Northumberland. However, there have been a lot of convictions of managers who were found to poison birds of prey - and the good thing was that RSPB were supported by the public in taking the culprits to court.
Now red kites are mainly scavengers - in fact they 'clean' the countryside from potential sources of infection such as carrion etc. Why would somebody want to kill them?
PS Clearly some people have no brains or heart - hopefully the hefty fines they get if found guilty will make them comply.
Marina,I don't think the RSPB or any other body have the problem "under control" as you put it,wish that was the case.These crimes usually take place in very remote areas and nobody has the man power to cover such areas.
Sorry Pete, let me explain myself. Last Christmas we visited Greece to photograph raptors etc. In a RAMSAR protected area (with staff paid to patrol it, surveillance cameras paid for and installed etc) we witnessed, time and time again, serious, illegal and cruel hunting and killing of birds and the authorities were turning a blind eye. I was sick to the back teeth. This is going on in large parts of Europe and Cyprus and nobody gives a damn. At least the RSPB here is taking people to court - and that sends an important message out, though surely not to everyone. As for the rest yes, I agree, it's like a criminal trying to break into a house. No matter what a person does, if the criminal sets their mind on breaking into a property, they will do.
Still don't understand why the kites though. They are not birds of prey ...
Marina - The situation with regard to bird of prey persecution in the UK is grim. It's worst of all in the English uplands where the hen harrier has been all but eradicated as a breeding species. Red kites have not fared as well in the North as down in the lowlands (see https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/06/15/police-investigate-suspicious-death-of-tenth-red-kite-in-north-yorkshire/ ;https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/05/05/red-kite-shot-killed-on-nest-in-west-yorkshire/ It's not much better in Scotland https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/03/18/ross-shire-massacre-two-years-on/ either.
Red kites, though primarily scavengers do take, opportunistically, game bird chicks and this is enough to bring down retribution from shooting estates. Peregrines, goshawks and sparrowhawks are also routinely disposed of , sometimes by pigeon fanciers. Unfortunately racing pigeons being semi-domesticated lack native survival skills and are conditioned to fly long distances at altitude This makes them a flying buffet service particularly for peregrines.
The current petition to ban driven grouse shooting and thereby the ecological damage it brings has now reached nearly 45000 signatures. Please consider signing it at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/125003 if you haven't already done so, and ask your family and friends to as well. Many thanks.....
Very nicely put Bob,our club recording area ( the Nidderdale AONB) is surrounded by grouse moors that only hold a token number of raptors compared to what the area should support. Losing 10 Red Kites in as many weeks is far from having the matter in hand,and that is on those that are found and only one species.
Geez ... thanks for the information John. Petition signed, emailed to friends and family and shared on facebook. I thought (or wanted to think) we were more civilised here but I was clearly wrong. But we do get stories like this and I thought the RSPB were really active on the control front.
I was aware about the hen harriers ... started reading about them three years ago after we were told only one female was spotted on Papa Westray out of a group of 30 that were usually there in the summer. On our return I did a bit of research and found out the grim reasons behind the fact.
Somebody needs to do something about these shooting farms, honestly. It's a disgrace to still continue with such barbaric hobbies in this day and age.
There is one adjacent to RSPB Leighton Moss. I remember once last year there were 15-20 of us waiting on the path towards Public Hide in the hope of seeing the bearded tits - and the shooting next to us was horrendous. To add insult to injury around 20 minutes later 4 vans drive down the path - the last one was an open top SUV and in the back it had railings .... where over 40 pheasants were hung, shot, with blood dripping. And this atrocity is a 'hobby' - with which wild birds of prey interfere with....