One of these pairs was in east Yorkshire, about 50 miles away from the release site, showing that the Red Kite is, at least on rare occasions, capable of re-occupying vacant habitat well away from core populations.
Part of the success of the Yorkshire project has stemmed from the fact that more of the released birds have bred in their first year than has been the case in other populations.
This year, one bird became a Grandad at only two years old, as one of his offspring, reared last year when he was one, bred successfully. It is planned to release more birds in Yorkshire over the next two years in order to ensure that a self-sustaining population becomes established, with the potential to begin spreading to other suitable areas in northern England.
Ian Carter, Ornithologist for English Nature, extra information supplied by Doug Simpson and Nigel Snell.
