PBC: Red Kite

Peterborough Bird Club annual report
Red Kite Milvus milvus | A, C3 | Scarce

1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003

2003

Rare, introduced resident breeder.
The peak count was from the extreme west of the area with 20 circling over the Apethorpe area prior to roosting on 29 Nov (BHS), with ten there on 13 Oct (BHS). Elsewhere, six were over Glapthorn Cow Pasture on 11 Oct (RL) and five were at Morborne Hill on 14 Mar (KAF).
There were reports of 1-3 birds from a number of locations, mainly from the western area; away from the main area, reports from Baston Fen NR, Deeping St James, Nene Washes, Stamford and Deeping Lakes NR. Reports of colours and letters on wing-tagged birds are always welcome and help build up an indication of bird movements. Non-wing-tagged birds are not necessarily birds from outside the reintroduction schemes; the increase in populations means that occasionally not all young are tagged and tags also fall off from time to time.

2002

Rare, introduced resident breeder.
Since the successful reintroduction of the Red Kite to the Rockingham Forest area, which started in 1995, this magnificent bird of prey has become a welcome and common sight in the western ‘hills’ of the PBC area. The maximum count was of six at Southorpe 1 Apr (RB, WB) with 3-5 birds noted from Chesterton Farm, Bedford Purlieus NNR, Apethorpe, Elton and Morborne Hill. Four seen in a group at Fotheringhay on 7 Sep included a bird with two white wing-tags - a 2002 Midlands-fledged bird - and one with one white and one pink - Midlands 2000 (BHS). Frequent records of 1-2 birds came throughout the year from the western area. Away from the western raptor stronghold, kites also circled over Helpston 8 Mar (BD), Stanground Lock 3 Aug (JD) and Ramsey St Mary's 12 Aug (NC).

Wider wanderings of birds from the Midlands population between 1995-2001 have taken them to North Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Wales, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Dorset and Sussex. Despite some deaths through rodenticide poisoning in 2002, there was “an encouraging increase in the Midlands population, with a total of 23 breeding pairs located, eight more than the estimate of 15 pairs in 2001. Of these, 19 were successful and 43 young were reared” (English Nature).

Wing-tag colour coding
Each wing-tagged bird has two tags, denoting the area and the year it was fledged in.

Yellow	Chilterns	Green	1998
White	Midlands	Black	1999
Orange	Yorkshire	Pink	2000
		Blue	2001
		White	2002

2001

Rare, introduced resident breeder.
This spectacular raptor has been reintroduced into east Northamptonshire and is regularly recorded from the west of the PBC recording area, with wandering individuals seen away from this stronghold usually associated with pre-breeding searches for potential nest sites or post breeding dispersal of young birds.
In the west of our recording area, sightings of one or two birds regularly reported from around King’s Cliffe, Warmington, Elton, Fotheringhay, Nassington, Apethorpe, Morborne Hill, Wansford, Glapthorn Cow Pasture and Cotterstock – in fact, you would be hard-pressed to drive around this general area on a fine day and not see a kite. The highest counts of roosting birds were 20 at Southwick Wood 20 Nov (LM, TM) and 28 at Woodnewton 29 Oct (RES).
Away from this area, a small movement of birds in Mar accounted for two over Ferry Meadows CP 9 Mar (CHa), with singles over Pondersbridge (KW) and Monk’s Wood NNR (RBu) on the same date, one over Farcet and Yaxley on the 10th (JD) and again over Farcet on 14th and 15th (AL), with two near Stamford on 18th (MC). Further singles seen over Conington 3 Apr (RD), Monk’s Wood NNR 9 Apr (RBu) and Sawtry 26 May (MH, JO). The only autumn/winter record away from the western stronghold was one at Woodwalton Fen NNR on 26 Dec (BT).
The breeding population in east Northamptonshire included 16 attempted breeding pairs with 13 pairs laying eggs, of which nine pairs successfully reared 25 young. Average productivity of the successful pairs was 2.8 young – the highest to date. All the young were wing-tagged with white tags on the left wing and blue on the right. Sightings of colour marked birds can be passed on to the PBC recorder or direct to English Nature.

2000

Rare, introduced breeder; rare passage migrant.
There were 32 records from the west of the recording area. Most concerned 1-8 birds, but with a maximum of 30 in a pre-roost gathering at Southwick on 27 Nov (ARF). About 15 pairs bred in the east Northamptonshire area and three juvenile birds were noted in the Southwick area during Aug/Sep. A pair at Monk’s Wood NNR 14 May–16 Jun were reportedly failed breeders from the known east Northamptonshire breeding area. A bird over Orton Waterville on 11 Aug (PS) was outside the usual area for sightings, with another seen low over the Nene Washes on 24 Sep, which coincided with the large raptor movement through the country at the time. However, most records of continental migrants are in spring and these records may indicate local post-breeding dispersal.

1999

Rare, introduced breeder; rare passage migrant.
Twenty records all presumably referred to the reintroduced birds in east Northamptonshire. Most sightings were of 1-4 birds, however, six at Apethorpe 1 Jan and an exceptional 19 were noted in the Woodnewton area 25 Dec. Outside the usual areas, singles were seen at Werrington 11 Mar (MR), Orton BP 25 Apr (DP) and Washingley 2 Dec (NC).

1998

Rare, introduced resident; passage migrant.
Three were near Southwick on 1 Mar (ARF). One flew east over Peterborough Library on 11 Mar (BHS). One was over Milton golf course on 21 Aug (WEW) and three were near King’s Cliffe on 13 Dec (ARF). All records presumably relate to birds from the east Northamptonshire reintroduction scheme.