Swallows are back & saw a Kite today

First swallow seen today in south-west Hampshire, bit earlier than normal for us & I know not new to other places but have had Red Kites flying over today as well, crap phone picture:

Excellent lucky spot 😀 Beautiful bird to witness in the wild, V shaped tail a dead give away.

100s of Red Kites around West Berks. I’ve seen flocks of about 15 out on rides, you even see them in town centre gardens.

Cool though. I like seeing birds of prey in the wild.

Amazing how they are spreading – had to go to the Chilterns to see them 20 years ago and now they are fairly common in these parts and heading south.

I see more Kites than Magpies round here as we’re not too far away from Stokenchurch where they were re-introduced some time back. Someone over the back feeds them and you see 4 or 5 swooping down for their dinner.
Had a few near misses whilst driving though as they come down to sample some road kill, they’re very ungainly trying to beat a hasty retreat!

Kites are not migratory. Friend told me they are good scavangers so prospering in our throw away society (?) last year we had a very nice time watching the housemartins build their nests

Was at Gibside today.
We saw two Red Kites before we even left the car park. 🙂
Always great to see.

Kites used to be all over cities one time didn’t they?
There’s been a Black Kite seen in Suffolk recently I hear. Heard my first Chiff Chaff in the lakes Easter weekend.

Saw swallows on Tuesday evening, did seem early for Derby.

Saw kites above Maidenhead town centre last week, hadn’t realised they were spreading so well.

Loads of buzzards here in the East Midlands, you can get very close to them on a bike.

Another South Hampshire local here. Saw my first swallow of the year at Chichester harbour yesterday eve. Also been enjoying my first time seeing the heronry at langstone millpond near hayling island.

Have seen red kites over Swinley too, but seems odd that the parrots haven’t made it down from London yet.

Kites used to be all over cities one time didn’t they?

In the Middle Ages they were called Shite-hawks, because they were around in large numbers in London, scavenging along with Ravens in the street because of all the offal and other trash just thrown into the road by tradespeople.
They’re really starting to spread into North Wiltshire now, I saw one just outside Biddestone last Sunday, I’ve seen them around Avebury, seen one in the centre of Chippenham a while back. Thrilled to see them around, they’re lovely birds in the air, as are Ravens, which are becoming fairly common now, had a couple fly over the house a while back as well.
Not seen any swallows yet, but there were loads of skylarks singing their little heads off in one big field I was walking across when I saw the kite.

I saw my first swallow of the year today flying off the sea near Burgh Island in South Devon. I used to have the honour of always being the first to see a swallow, but in these days of social media I’m ten days behind some other locals like these guys http://thurlestonebaybirds.co.uk/!

I haven’t seen a kite this year, but saw a marsh harrier two weeks ago, and am on the look out for ospreys in the South Devon estuaries.

Those little parakeets seem to have invaded Margate/Ramsgate when I go there, maybe they are just Londoners on a day trip

An Osprey has been spotted over a reservoir up here in Lancs.

An Osprey has been spotted over a reservoir up here in Lancs.

Ospreys are currently on manoeuvres in South Devon, I just haven’t seen one this year with my own eyes…

http://www.wildlifeindevon.org.uk/pages/sightings.htm

I see several kites around N Hampshire now. I wonder if they push buzzards out of territory or do they coexist?
Am going to keep an eye out for swallows now. My favourite summer moments are watching them and swifts zooming over my local pub garden after I’ve been on a good ride.

Have seen red kites over Swinley too, but seems odd that the parrots haven’t made it down from London yet.

They seem to have spread along the Thames. Common in Chiswick 20 years ago. Saw my first ones in Cookham about 10 years ago. First ones arrived in Reading about 4 years ago. Now there are dozens of them.

And Kites are spreading steadily southwards too. Not uncommon to see them from the M3 and A34 now. I usually can see half a dozen out back of my house 🙂

Oh and AFAIK Buzzards and Kites are complimentary to each other (“you look nice, no YOU look nice etc etc”). Which is why the growth in Kites has seen a growth in Buzzards as well. One species spots carrion, the other has the strength to rip it open (I think 😕 )

theres one or two red kites in mid-wales

Disturbed a mini-flock of parakeets as I rode through Bushy Park today – have seen the pair that seem to live in our row of back gardens too.

Also, saw something suspiciously like the picture above at Wisley Airfield – quite low down seemed to be playing in the wind that was whistling across the place.

We have roughly a dozen swallow/house martin nests at work, I’ve had to isolate and take a roller shutter door out of commission due to them building a best on top of it!

Love it when the fledging’s first leave the nests-it can get like a StarWars x-wing vs tie fighter battle as they learn to fly.

Feels a real privilege to have them choosing to nest with us!

Working around Chilterns way at the moment and 100s of Kites as mentioned. Some might see them as pests now, but they’re majestic birds.

Parakeets are common around Woking. Rarely see them more than a spec as they fly across, just hear the distinctive squawk. There’s one Kite about also, if the scrotes haven’t shot it.

Kites have been in Reading for at least 10 years if not more, they commute in (honest). Were introduced onto the Getty Estate kind of between Nettlebed and Henley from about 1990 I think they are from Spanish stock whereas the welsh ones are from the original British population.

Some might see them as pests now

Why?

anagallis_arvensis – Member
Why?

People who like to moan it seems.

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/11450509.Red_Kites_are_becoming_a_pest___don_t_feed_them__say_conservation_groups/?ref=mr

Living in London I wouldn’t have expected to see much but there is a perigrine who likes to perch high up on crystal palace transmitter which I can see from my lounge (need binoculars to see it though as its 430ft up) and I sometimes hear an owl at night as I’m right by a nature reserve and a large area of woodland.
Not seen a swallow yet though.

Just moved away from West Berkshire down to exmoor. The only things I miss is the swooping Red Kites. Get to see more red deer though.

We have roughly a dozen swallow/house martin nests at work, I’ve had to isolate and take a roller shutter door out of commission due to them building a best on top of it!

We get mainly house martins, but they learnt to to an upwards roll in front of the door sensor which by the time they had completed the roll would have the door open in front of them so that they could fly in and nest in the out pre-warehouse.

Incredibly impressive – but not good in a warehouse storing Pharma.

Red kites and buzzards get on well, see loads nowadays – big release site for kites near to me here in Ireland (and near a massive pheasant breeding place too), they all roost together pretty much during the winter (helps that the butcher throws out a lot of scraps too).

Massive upsurge in birds of pray generally (except they have stopped the sea eagle re-introduction on the west coast, cost 18K a bird and they were getting shot and poisoned).

Also have woodpeckers here too they flew themselves in from the UK, proven to be UK and not Scandinavian – was just under 20 breeding pairs a few years ago in a couple of woods on the east coast (thought I was hearing things at first), getting quite successful and having to spread out through the valleys now.

which is nice.

Yep – heard my first chiffchaff 8!or 9 days ago on my local patch south mancs.

On a semi related note now talking about urban birding etc, used to work in Canary Wharf and see regular Black Redstart on the roofgarden on my 12th floor office. About 20 feet away from my desk on the other side of the glass! Also saw peregrine pretty often bombing around after the pigeons. Was also a short eared owl on the second floor roof resting for a day (migratory I guess). Amazing birds in everyday places. Keep them eyes peeled!!!

Looking forward to the return of the house martins to the eaves of our house and next door. We get so many it’s like the Battle of Britain over the back garden!

ETA: West Lancs, so we’ll have to wait a bit longer than those in the South!

Think it was black kites that used to be in towns and cities – mentioned by Shakespeare etc. On the main drag out of Geneva toward Chatel there were so many that I thought they were rooks the last time I was there. 8)

Regularly see red kites over Reading station if heading into London on the train and saw one at West Lulworth last week.