Welsh Kite Trust

A revised programme has been introduced under which the remaining 40 birds would be released in the period 2002 to 2003.

Eighteen young kites, sourced as usual from wild nests in the Chilterns, have been released this year. These were part of an overall pool of 22 birds, some of which were destined for the release project in South West Scotland. Attempts were made to determine the sexes of these birds, before they were released, by taking blood-feathers and sending them for urgent analysis. Unfortunately, due to problems with some of the samples, it did not prove possible to obtain a full set of results. From those figures obtained (12 males and 4 females) it was apparent that the substantial bias towards males experienced in 1999 and 2000 (25 males and 15 females) had continued.

On a more positive note, the Yorkshire Project has seen significant breeding at an earlier stage than had been expected and this has continued. This year all 8 of the 2001 pairs raised young again, as did one additional pair, producing a total of 20 young. Another pair failed through unknown causes. The only chance of more than 10 pairs breeding would have been through first-year females becoming involved again, the imbalance in sexes having meant that no older females were available. Strangely, although there were several older males holding territory and making their presence known quite vociferously, no first-year females settled down to breed this year.

In 2001, six kite chicks were wing-tagged and fitted with radio-transmitters in the limited number of nests to which we could gain access. Blood-feather testing was more successful than it was later to prove to be in 2002, it having been established that there were 5 females and only 1 male. Two of the females were, at different times, seen in the company of one of the unpaired territorial males. Sadly, they both later died in separate poisoning incidents. One was found dead on a grouse moor, lying across a rabbit carcass which tested positive for alpha-chloralose (as did the bird) whilst the other had succumbed to a dose of strychnine placed on a bird carcass. The strychnine level that killed this bird was many times greater than the approved dosage in its only legitimate use - that of killing moles underground.

The dead kite was found in a ditch just a few metres from a public footpath.
Expert opinion indicated that it could not have travelled far from the poison-bait before dying.

The public safety issues involved have prompted North Yorkshire Police to launch a campaign, drawing attention to the dangers inherent in these irresponsible practices and calling together representatives of all appropriate countryside organisations and agencies.