However, in reality whilst we did see an increase in the number of pairs breeding in central Scotland this year, an apparent combination of low vole populations and cold spring weather in late March and early April conspired to result in very poor productivity.
On the plus side the central Scotland red kite population increased in 2005 to 25 pairs laying eggs from 22 pairs in 2004. It is likely that other breeding pairs went undetected as some of our usual pairs decided to relocate and nests remained unfound throughout the season despite regular sightings of birds in some areas and extensive ground searches. We will wait to see how many untagged juvenile kites turn up in due course at the Argaty feeding station at Doune, Perthshire to gauge how many nests we have actually missed. Of the 25 pairs that were confirmed to have laid eggs, only 15 went on to fledge a paltry 28 young (four down on last year). This is the poorest productivity per breeding pair in central Scotland since birds began breeding again in our area in 1998.
During the course of fieldwork in 2005, Duncan Cameron and I have fitted 19 radio tags to kites, as well as the usual wing tags and BTO rings. The radio tagged birds will be monitored by a former central Scotland Red Kite Project Officer, Kevin Duffy of Natural Research, who will be studying red kite interactions with the proposed Airtricity Braes of Doune windfarm. Construction of the windfarm is due to start in Spring 2006 and reliable information should be gathered over the next few years on the impacts, if any, of windfarms on this species. Environmental Impact Assessment work, including modelling of the predicted impacts on red kites, was carried out as part of the planning application for this windfarm. Whilst it was concluded by this process that impacts arising from the operation of the windfarm were likely to be low, Scottish Natural Heritage insisted on this additional package of monitoring measures if the development was permitted to proceed. Information gathered in this way should help with advice on the location and design of windfarms in all red kite areas in the future.
