Aren't Kites Brilliant!

Continuing the birding story of my holiday in Wales, the next feathery target were the Red Kites at the Forestry Commission's feeding station at Nant-yr-Arian, in central Wales about 9 miles east of Aberystwyth, where an ABB project runs most days through the year. Around 100 birds arrive everyday at three in the afternoon to snatch a quick easy meal, swooping down with great dramatic poise to pick up their prize, usually chicken we're told, tossed to them by the rangers. This apparently helps improve breeding success, especially during dry spells when parent birds find difficulty in digging up their main prey item - worms.

Here's the video...


(another video here)

The hide is 20 yards from the feeding area, so you can view the Kites at very close quarters indeed.

Now truth be told, the profusion of Red Kites there lasts most of the afternoon, you really can't miss them in your anywhere around the site, and after an hour or two you begin to take them for granted. This has to be a marvellous thing, to be tired of Red Kites! After the entire Welsh (and therefore British population) at one point came down to just a handful of pairs, indeed research into their genetics tells that all Welsh kites are descended from just one female, these numbers indicate the most amazing recovery for the species.
There are up to 400 pairs now in Wales, and without hyperbole their survival has to be one of the great stories in nature conservation anywhere in the world. What a remarkable achievement! So even if the feeding stations feel a little like Red Kite theme parks, all is forgiven.

Of course you don't have to go to Wales for Red Kites anymore, there are birds from reintroduction schemes around much of England now, and some fairing a little less well in Scotland. The Welsh will tell you these are 'non-native' Red Kites since they came from European populations and perhaps they have a point. Truth be told, there is an argument that the RSPB jumped to quickly to reintroduce Red Kites to the UK from other countries. It's a cautionary tale.

Other birds around the site included Buzzards, Ravens, Siskin, and practically in the car park you have Tree Pipit.

Back to the Kites, and more pictures...

The valley to the west.

Norfolk Trip Part One: Via Rutland

Okay, a lot of updating to do here after our brief Easter sojourn in Norfolk, for the 4 days we managed spot on 100 species, a target I hadn't dared to speak of before totting up the list.

First stop on the way south was Rutland. The local news had mentioned the Osprey were returning so we hit the south side of the reservoir, the Lyndon Reserve where sightings are apparently most likely, it had just opened to the summer public that morning.
As we arrived there was quite the hubbub among the volunteers, they were very excited. Turned out a sixth bird had just returned, a female, and immediately rested into one of the next structures. We headed for the overlooking hides.

That's the female, she was noticeably bigger than the male.

And he was ready to mate, little matter that she'd only just completed her migration all the way from Africa. Three times he mounted and three times she very certainly shrugged him off. So instead the male headed off to collect sticks and grass for the nest.

That's him during his display flight (you can read more about this pair here).

During which he was joined by a couple of Red Kite. Very special sights indeed.

And on the ground in front, two Muntjac nibbled on the reed edges.

In all honesty there wasn't very much else to be seen around the Lyndon Reserve so we headed for the Egleton side where habitat is a bit more varied, with wader scrapes etc. Even there it was pretty quiet, plenty of nice birds, Goldeneye, Pintail, Egyptian Goose, Chiffchaff, my first House Martin of the year, and the Tree Sparrow at the feeding station near the visitor centre.

It was a marvellous first leg to the trip.