Red Kite Survey

Red Kite Survey - Ian Kerr is requesting help with a PRE-SEASON SURVEY OF RED KITES

        During late March our Red Kite population will be involved in spectacular aerial displays while some early pairs will be busy defending territories and nest-building.
Friends of Red Kites (FoRK) is organising a regional survey on the morning of  Saturday, March 23rd 2013 with three main objectives:-
       
•    To determine the total population in the region.

•    To map the distribution of Red Kites across the North East and:-

•    To try and establish the number of potential breeding territories.

        The Red Kite monitoring team, which records, rings and wing-tags the kites and liaises with the BTO, the Rare Birds Breeding Panel and other bodies, is a small but very enthusiastic group and obviously cannot hope to cover the entire region without help.
       
We already have detailed information about most, if not all, the breeding sites in the core area but need help in examining other within the recording area of the Northumberland & Tyneside and Durham bird clubs and any help from Gateshead Birders would be very welcome.
       
For the past two years no breeding attempts have been recorded in Northumberland which is of great concern. If the re-introduction scheme is eventually to be judged successful the species has to break out of the core area. A few years ago breeding did take place in Hexhamshire but we know that birds there were persecuted.

Red Kites are regularly noted in areas just outside the core breeding zone in the Derwent Valley and we are anxious to monitor all these sites on the day.

We have deliberately chosen to carry out the survey during the morning – between 9am and 12.30 – because experience has shown that kites are most active over potential breeding sites during that period. Later in the day they tend to drift away to forage.

Anyone who offer assistance with this one-off survey (and have the chance of finding some really spectacular birds) can e-mail me at ianisland@blueyonder.co.uk or call me on 0191-2676974 for further details.  FoRK has limited funds available but to help with this survey can offer 25p per mile for volunteers taking part. Now that’s something you don’t get from the BTO etc!

                                                                                             IAN KERR

You'll be looking out for something like this   [Roly Ingram]