I took my first trip to a Red Kite
feeding station this last weekend.
From http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-8FARZC
About Red Kites
There were more red kites than any other bird of prey in the UK in Shakespeare’s time. Red kites were a very common sight over towns and cities, scavenging on streets and waste tips. They were, at this time protected by law.
Around the reign of King Henry VIII, attitudes changed towards red kites and their large numbers were seen as a nuisance. Sadly this led to their downfall and they soon became extinct in England, Scotland and Ireland.
It was only in the valleys of Mid Wales that a few kites managed to survive with just 1 breeding pair left alive. Fortunately local landowners decided to set up a protection programme to make sure they survived.
Over about 100 years organisations such as the Welsh Kite Trust (WKT), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Forestry Commission Wales (FCW) made great efforts to keep them safe. Today, there are more than 1000 breeding pairs in Wales and it is now Wales’ National Bird of Prey.
Bwlch Nant yr Arian Forest Visitor Centre is one of the sites where the Red Kites are fed daily, at 3pm
Viewing for the photographer is excellent, although today, the weather was decidedly overcast with a rather sensaional hail storm !
Apparently they can get up to 200 birds each day, although at this time of year, the females are sitting on the nests up to 10 kilometers away, so we only had a showing of around 100 birds.
IMG_0163
by Trugga, on Flickr
IMG_0166
by Trugga, on Flickr
IMG_0192
by Trugga, on Flickr
IMG_0143 - Red Kite Hide
by Trugga, on Flickr
IMG_0123 - Red Kites
by Trugga, on FlickrI must return there later in the year when there is better light.
Lawrence
