Red Kites

August 8, 2012

Just saw on north west news they are releasing a load more Red Kites in the Lake District :animatedpigeons:

billt · August 8, 2012

That's good, really nice birds to have about

sapper756 · August 8, 2012

http://www.redkites.co.uk/media/IMG_1711.jpg

August 8, 2012

I agree that Red Kites are beautiful birds but unless humans feed them they can not survive. How is that natural? Here in Wales the guy that owns the farm in Mid-Wales collects bones and scrap meat from the local Slaughter House and feeds the Kites while tourists watch. How can you describe these kites as wild birds? It is much the same with Peregrine Falcons who rely on pigeons both ferel and domesticated to feed themselves. They now exploit artificial light from the Towns and Cities to hunt after dark which again is not natural. Magpies and Crows feed on the road kill and this has caused their numbers to be much higher than is natural and just like the domestic cat they are able to hunt down wild prey with a full belly. The RSPB wonders why starlings are dying out and song bird numbers are getting less as each year goes by. I reckon it is time they opened their eyes.

billt · August 8, 2012

I agree that Red Kites are beautiful birds but unless humans feed them they can not survive. How is that natural? Here in Wales the guy that owns the farm in Mid-Wales collects bones and scrap meat from the local Slaughter House and feeds the Kites while tourists watch. How can you describe these kites as wild birds? It is much the same with Peregrine Falcons who rely on pigeons both ferel and domesticated to feed themselves. They now exploit artificial light from the Towns and Cities to hunt after dark which again is not natural. Magpies and Crows feed on the road kill and this has caused their numbers to be much higher than is natural and just like the domestic cat they are able to hunt down wild prey with a full belly. The RSPB wonders why starlings are dying out and song bird numbers are getting less as each year goes by. I reckon it is time they opened their eyes.

Yes Owen you are right regards the feeding stations needed to sustain the Kite but being carrion feeders I don't regard them as birds of prey, Now the Peregrine is a different problem with the powers that be having a morbid obsession with them and encouraging them into unnatural environments. I think as you say, the domestic cat has a major impact on bird life, probably the major offender

August 12, 2012

billt

my point was and is that if the RSPB are so keen on Natural Selection why are they supporting the support feeding of any bird. Surely the idea is to promote the idea of birds living naturally. It seems to me that if they continue down this road they will be in danger of running a zoo. The fact that the RSPB are living in a World of fantasy and rely on down right lies to get their ideas accross was demonstrated to me recently. In an e mail from one of their Public Relations Guys he stated that the Goshawk is a shy bird and prefers to remain in the woodland rather than expose itself. He went on to explain that the Goshawks in Britain are from falconers escapees. What a load of cobblers. I recently saw and example of this shy bird when it had got into a pigeon loft and was busy biting the wings off the pigeons. He had bitten the wings from 3 birds and was trying to catch more. And it certainly was not shy about being disturbed because it tried to carry on in spite of being caught in the act.

A friend has a small farm near some conifers where the Goshawks live and they are certainly not shy about carrying off anything they can. Shouting and throwing things does nothing to interrupt them when they get on to prey. They seem to be mesmerised and refuse to be driven off once they have got started.

In regard to them being falconers escapees is concerned apart from the fact that I think we all know that this is just a pack of lies Ray Meers stated on his British Wildlife Programme that they were Scandinavian birds brought to Britain as a planned release programme. So there we have it, the RSPB are not bothered by the fact that predatory birds they protect are destroying wildlife and domestic livestock.

Tractorboy stated that the Yorkshire Red Kites are not fed. Bearing in mind they must have carrion to live either they are lucky enough to live in an area where people must leave dead animals about or they are being fed. A point worth noting is that it is against the law to leave dead animals about and if you are caught it will result in a very heavy fine.

I will continue to try to talk with the RSPB even though they are proven liars and are very ignorant of the terrible damage they are doing in the remote hope that some of what I say will make them think about things. Wish me luck!

August 12, 2012

I must have been dreaming about watching a goshawk attack a kit of white pigeons on my friends mountain in neath then according to that owen hahaha

August 13, 2012

The way things are going and bearing in mind that Goshawks rear up to 5 young the populations will soon outstrip the wild food available for them in some areas. Then we will all see what Goshawks are about. Like all creatures they will do all they can to find enough prey to continue to live so they will take what is available. Pigeons and poultry will then be high on the menu. I reckon that it is any one's guess as to when and where this sort of thing will happen but I think it is a racing certainty that happen it will.

At the moment the RSPB are preoccupied with their fight with Landowners and the last thing they will admit to in public is that there will be a big problem with these raptors. They introduced White Tailed Sea Eagles to some areas without a thought to what could happen. The fact that these birds will take normal sized healthy lambs does not figure in their thinking. And just like a lot of these single interest people they have no interest in the fact that people can and do loose their livelihoods due to their one eyed ideas. The reality is that just like two giants fighting the very rich RSPB and the very rich Landowners are locked in battle and those of us in the margins are caught up in the damage they are both doing. Someone once said that, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" and there is no doubt in my mind that these two powerful forces are corrupt because they are both beyond the control of anybody and anything. I hope that sooner or later the Public will come to understand the issues involved because that is our only hope of sorting all this out in a balanced and sensible way.

hawked again · August 21, 2012

I agree that Red Kites are beautiful birds but unless humans feed them they can not survive. How is that natural? Here in Wales the guy that owns the farm in Mid-Wales collects bones and scrap meat from the local Slaughter House and feeds the Kites while tourists watch. How can you describe these kites as wild birds? It is much the same with Peregrine Falcons who rely on pigeons both ferel and domesticated to feed themselves. They now exploit artificial light from the Towns and Cities to hunt after dark which again is not natural. Magpies and Crows feed on the road kill and this has caused their numbers to be much higher than is natural and just like the domestic cat they are able to hunt down wild prey with a full belly. The RSPB wonders why starlings are dying out and song bird numbers are getting less as each year goes by. I reckon it is time they opened their eyes.

Unless he has a licence the guy that feeds them maybe breaking the law. The feed has to be up to a set stadard.

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/british-birds/64466-feeding-red-kites-urban-areas.html

jimmy_bulger · August 21, 2012

the other old name for a red kite is (pigeon hawk)i wonder why

billt · August 21, 2012

the other old name for a red kite is (pigeon hawk)i wonder why

No problem to us Jimmy, I live with them here, you might get a bit more flying out of the birds if they come too close but I've never seen one take the slightest interest in my birds