Author Topic: kites  (Read 2055 times)

border-rider

kites
« on: 03 May, 2009, 09:40:06 pm »
A day at the kite place at Rhayader.  Very good - recommended

These are wild kites- not living there.  They just drop in to be fed in the afternoon.  We counted over 100.












Wowbagger

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Re: kites
« Reply #1 on: 03 May, 2009, 09:48:44 pm »
Aren't they just wonderful birds? We've not been to Gigrin Farm, but we did watch kites being fed at Nant-yr-Arian, near Devil's Bridge.
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Re: kites
« Reply #2 on: 03 May, 2009, 09:49:20 pm »
These were one of Mr Spooner's topics yesterday  ;D

border-rider

Re: kites
« Reply #3 on: 03 May, 2009, 09:53:56 pm »
We had a pair nesting outside Lambourn, and they often came over our garden :)

Gigren gives you a chance to see them up-close; it's really good IMO.

Julian

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Re: kites
« Reply #4 on: 03 May, 2009, 09:54:15 pm »
Fabulous photos :D

Charlotte

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Re: kites
« Reply #5 on: 03 May, 2009, 09:56:49 pm »
Saw one flying low today on the way to Oxford.  By the Cringe it was fecking huuuuuge!
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PGtips

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Re: kites
« Reply #6 on: 03 May, 2009, 09:59:29 pm »
its a shame that so many are killed along the A40
Milk, Milk, Milk.... "I reject reality and substitute my own!" I am all for the Olympic food eating contest!

border-rider

Re: kites
« Reply #7 on: 03 May, 2009, 10:01:52 pm »
its a shame that so many are killed along the A40

It is, but in a way I suppose that's a sign that they are more common :)

The ones in Wales commute over to the Chilterns and back (and vice versa) , and on a good day they can get 400 at the feeding station.

Basil

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Re: kites
« Reply #8 on: 03 May, 2009, 10:15:28 pm »
I love seeing so many more of them these days.  We have lots of them around here (and buzzards).
My most memorable encounter recently was when I was cycling off to get the Sunday papers quite early (for me) in the morning.  As I was going through a tree tunnel lane (if you get what I mean) I disturbed a gert big bugger who'd been sitting on a bough over the road.  It took off lazily when I was very close and flew slowly along the lane ahead of me through the tunnel of trees.  It seemed as if its wingspan almost filled the lane.  Of course it wasn't really that big, but that's the impression I was left with as I followed it, spellbound.
One of the most awe inspiring sights I've seen in a long time.
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

IanDG

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Re: kites
« Reply #9 on: 03 May, 2009, 10:48:21 pm »
I spotted a kite whilst driving to Inverness on Friday. A good population in the Black Isle - and the Black Isle Brewery does an organic Red Kite Ale :P

Re: kites
« Reply #10 on: 03 May, 2009, 10:53:22 pm »
One flew over very low & slow, looking down at us, as we sat in the garden of the Black Horse at Checkendon. Probably checking for dropped scraps. They've learned  that people eating outdoors can mean food for kites, & some people feed them.

Pretty common over Reading, nowadays.
"A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering." The Type-Writer Girl, 1897

border-rider

Re: kites
« Reply #11 on: 03 May, 2009, 11:09:06 pm »
Some vid here

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/yKEH0wlj2g8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/yKEH0wlj2g8&rel=1</a>

It starts all "The Birds" but there's some better shots later

Crap quality, but done just on  an old digital compact camera

Re: kites
« Reply #12 on: 04 May, 2009, 09:21:41 am »
There's a lot over the campsite at Watlington and often a buzzard, or two, flying with them.
It'l be good watching them spread across the country. I'm looking forward to them reaching the West West Midlands.
Lovely birds.
Never knowingly under caffeinated

RJ

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Re: kites
« Reply #13 on: 04 May, 2009, 09:40:34 am »
To think that the Welsh kite population bottle-necked at a single female ...

Saw one flying low today on the way to Oxford.  By the Cringe it was fecking huuuuuge!

Hah!" If you think kites are big, just wait until you see an eagle close up ;) (kites are longer-winged, but not as chunky as buzzards).

its a shame that so many are killed along the A40

It is, but in a way I suppose that's a sign that they are more common :)



Yup, indeed.

I spotted a kite whilst driving to Inverness on Friday. A good population in the Black Isle - and the Black Isle Brewery does an organic Red Kite Ale :P


That's where I cut my kite teeth, so to speak.  Unfortunately, the Black Isle kites are cordoned into a small enclave by persistent bird-of-prey persecution in the surrounding area.  Birds there originate from a reintroduction programme begun at the same time as the Chilterns releases, but the Black Isle population curve has plateau'd as birds have run out of safe areas to spread to.

The Black Isle brewery is (used to be) housed in an old farm steading.  "Red Kite" is a nice piece of branding and not bad beer, but I think I like their bog-myrtle-"hopped" Scotch best.

Anyhoo - great birds and great pictures  :)

Tourist Tony

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Re: kites
« Reply #14 on: 04 May, 2009, 09:56:45 am »
Not as good a pic, but one of the kites I was buzzed by in Denmark last Summer, near Dokkedalen


fuzzy

Re: kites
« Reply #15 on: 18 May, 2009, 02:23:45 pm »
Saw one flying low today on the way to Oxford.  By the Cringe it was fecking huuuuuge!

That's be a Getty Kite. One of the joys of riding round the Chilterns :thumbsup: