I saw a pair of what looked a lot like red kites circling over my garden in London on Saturday morning. I’ve seen them regularly in Wales and they looked to be about the right size/shape and definitely had forked tails but, even though they’re in the Cotswolds, I didn’t think they’d made it this far south/east.

What’s the likelihood they were red kites?

even though they’re in the Cotswolds Chilterns,

more than likely.

reintroduced in Hambleden in the Chilterns a fair few years back, and have been pretty successful, so could be likely. What part of London?

Very likely were released in the Chilterns and have since spread. The Thames Valley is full of them now.

There was a pair over Godstone / Westerham last year. Also seem to be hearing more woodpeckers now.

Cotswolds Chilterns

Damn my London centric ways. That’s what I meant.:oops:

SW London.

It was just strange and unexpected to see something I’ve only ever seen in the wilds of West Wales in London village.

I think they were also reintroduced around J5 of the M40, and have certainly spread out in at least a 25 mile radius from here, so they might well have strayed as far as That London.
They’re common in Stokenchurch, you regularly see groups of 10-20 of them. Still an impressive sight to see them swooping down to pick up a dead bunny off the road though.

They were introduced on the Getty Estate i believe which is t’other side of the hill from the Aston Rowant Nature Reserve which is cut in two by the M40 ( the hilly bit with chalky sides).

Just needs Ravens as well to go after all the crap people throw in the streets. They might keep the pigeon and seagull populations down a bit as well.

There’s a few in West London

Just needs Ravens as well to go after all the crap people throw in the streets. They might keep the pigeon and seagull populations down a bit as well.

Ravens are making a massive comeback in the west country. Never heard one in my first 35 years and since about five years ago I have heard them most weekends now. Away from houses etc. Hard to identify in flight but their sound is unlike any other bird and leaves no room for error. Good to see these bigger birds about.

Wouldn’t be at all surprised. Two buzzards and a kite on Ranmore today. Heard some woodpeckers, er, pecking some wood also.

There’s parakeets in N2 now too.
I remember seeing them around Chiswick/Brentford years ago , but saw a good hundred of them fly over my local High Rd last week.

Very high. Red kites can be found all along the M25 corridor from Heathrow to Sevenoaks. We have several breeding pairs in Tonbridge near Haysden country park, and there are a few near Horley in Surrey.

Ask Jedi about his one up at Herts Shore!

Very likely – spread down from the M40, as others have said.

We saw one at Chanctonbury Ring (South Downs) last month, so they’re definitely getting about.

After a bit of digging (gentle scratching of the surface of google) it would seem they pop up occasionally in Richmond Park and the Wetlands Centre, I’d assume both are fairly attractive to a Kite.

I’d love to see Kites take over from pigeons in London, a bunch of them hopping around eating sick and chips of an evening in Soho would be far more impressive than some gimpy, one legged pigeons. Now, if someone can introduce something large and fast enough to take those squawky green **** out I’d be a very happy man. An active breeding program for Peregrines would do.

There were 2 big ol red kites flying over the Madejski Stadium on Sunday. My son spotted them, I was too engrossed in the rugby!