Even so three pairs were identified, two of these behaved territorially and one pair even built a flimsy nest on a hay bale - no eggs were laid. Seven of the 2004 released birds remain in the immediate release area, with two others elsewhere in northeast England and one in Yorkshire.
A further 41 young kites, sent up from the Chilterns population, were released during 2005 making a total of 61 released since the project began. At least 54 birds are known to be floating around the northeast and there have been just two known mortalities.
Autumn monitoring of birds has revealed a slow down in the rate of dispersal of this year's birds. These are still wandering in the local context but can usually be located within a short distance of the release area. A large number of kites are still regularly noted in the Derwent valley and the Barlow Burn areas, with as many as 43 counted in late October.
