Red Kite Rescue

[Erichalfbee]

If anybody wants to know the outcome .....story mentioned in another thread.....

This chick fell out of its nest on Wednesday
Today the Welsh Red Kite Trusts ornithologist Tony Cross, tagged and ringed him, climbed up to the nest and our Kite was back with its bigger sister and was being fed by the parent birds.

 

[Luminos]

well done ericA

 

[Queens59]

Great news...I had been thinking about him - and you - Congrats on a wonderful resolution

 

[madasafish]

Brilliant!

 

[Swarm]

Great result, be sure to let us know when they fledge.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I will
It's great, I can identify each chick now sitting in the nest with its bright yellow wing tag.

 

[pargyle]

Great result ... well done Erica !

 

[BeeJayBee]

Fantastic result. Well done.

 

[susbees]

He gets around...our local swan ringer too

 

[Erichalfbee]

Update

Both chicks are fledged though they return to the nest to eat in the mornings.
I help them out with a chicken wing or two
Great party trick for visitors....though they have to get up early.
Now there are four Kites shrieking at each other in our trees

 

[Beauhawk]

Both chicks are fledged though they return to the nest to eat in the mornings.
I help them out with a chicken wing or two
Great party trick for visitors....though they have to get up early.
Now there are four Kites shrieking at each other in our trees

Very jealous! We have a couple of buzzards from time to time but they are just soaring on the thermals, calling as they go by.

Your situation sounds a real treat. Great to see such an improvement over the last 10 years with the Red Kites.

 

[pargyle]

Massive result Erica ... and with luck you'll have two pairs at least back next year.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bugger!!!
I found the young kite flailing around in the field next to the house.
I thought I could hear one calling from ground level for the last three or four days and the parents were hanging about.
Husband said I was imagining it!!!!
It looks in one piece but terribly terribly thin.
Anyway....It's now in a large dog cage perching on a branch having eaten a chicken drumstick and six day old chicks.
(I went out to pet shop to buy a £5 box of day old chicks which I have hidden in the bottom of the spare food freezer in the garage after husband told me there was room only in MY bee fridge.
Young grandson is staying with us so It's a trip to Gigrin Farm next week where they have a couple of other waif kites.
Oh well....fingers crossed.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Can't be in better hands, ericA

Dusty

 

[BeeJayBee]

That's a real pity, thank goodness you were able to rescue the bird.

Here's hoping (s)he recovers with a bit of tlc and extra food.

 

[pargyle]

It seems one of your kites has a persistent death wish .... good job you were around again !!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I thought I might resurrect this thread.

The fallen chick survived to be saved at Gigrin Red Kite Rescue only to be found dead in a road a few weeks after release
The old nest was destroyed by the winter weather and though the nesting pair stayed local the female disappeared about a month ago. The male spent his days calling in the tree
I contacted the BTO and they have a record of her being tagged as a chick in 2003 so she was a good age for a wild bird. No body has reported her as a casualty so perhaps she just moved on.

The best news is that the male has found a new mate, they have rebuilt the nest
We have a good view through the scope and there is sheeps' wool in it this morning so egg laying is imminent.
I am better prepared to help this year with a supply of day old chicks.

Oh......and one of my hens is broody so I can go hatching egg shopping

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Saw this little beauty this morning, unfortunately i was out and about at the orphanage and didn't have my bag and 150mm lens with me so quality isn't that good as I've had to enlarge. I'm pretty sure it's a black shouldered kite - first raptor I've seen properly over here - the others I think were some kind of kestrel seen whilst zooming along in a taxi.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Very handsome. Looks like he's got eyeliner on

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The eyeliner is what made me think it was a Black shouldered kite and not an Amur falcon.
Kicking meself that I didn't buy a bird book before coming out here, although i've managed to check on the more memorable ones when back with my colleagues (Andrew has got bird, animal and bug books - he's a dragonfly enthusiast) The maddest one is the laughing dove - it raises pitch half way through a 'cooing' set, sounding like someone has just goosed it!!