Thursday, 12 February 2015

Red Kites at Stilton, Cambridgeshire






Red Kites are, thankfully, a fairly common sight in the Peterborough area. Normally seen in ones and two's with the odd 4's or 5's thrown in, but Lisa and I saw 12 of these beauties the other day whilst driving down the A1. Stopping was not an option on that occasion and so I returned when time allowed and managed to watch and photograph these amazing birds which have taken up residence close to the village of Stilton in Cambridgeshire.
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21 comments:

  1. FAB13 February 2015 at 15:23

    Super shots John. It's good to know that their range is expanding.

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    1. John13 February 2015 at 16:39

      Thanks Frank! Yes, they are pretty common here, I can't think of a day that goes by without seeing at least one.
      J

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  2. Roy Norris13 February 2015 at 19:57

    Great shooting John.

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  3. bazza13 February 2015 at 21:09

    Awesome! What beautiful birds they are. Surely the most magnificent bird of prey in the UK?
    CLICK HERE for Bazza’s fabulous Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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    1. John15 February 2015 at 17:58

      Thanks Bazza! One of the most magnificent, certainly, but I am still in awe at the sight of a Golden Eagle.
      J

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  4. Unknown1 February 2016 at 17:09

    Great photos and confirms what we saw yesterday driving up A1 from A14

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    1. John1 February 2016 at 19:33

      Thank you! Yes, they are quite a sight, aren't they?!
      J

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  5. Unknown1 March 2016 at 20:48

    Fen lane Stilton on old A1 just before Norman Cross, we always see 8/10 Red Kites here, but on 27/2/16 must have been at least 30 flying in the sky over the fields, wife lost count trying to number them
    i did manage to get a few pics but nothing like the quality of yours. New born lambs in the field and I do know that Red Kites will swoop and take the afterbirth. Could be the reason for the high numbers.
    Sat for a good 30 minutes watching them. Awesome birds.

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    1. John5 March 2016 at 19:26

      Hi David! That's where these photos were taken. A great place for a close encounter with these magnificent birds!
      J

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  6. Unknown22 September 2016 at 12:08

    I saw these last weekend. Also just seen 10 buzzards overhead whilst in my garden. ( Suffolk)

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    1. John24 September 2016 at 11:58

      Great birds! and it's good to see so many Buzzards, although if Natural England get their way, I don't know how long that will last.
      J

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  7. Unknown18 January 2017 at 22:16

    I passed by on the A1 today and saw a group of about 40 red kites in a very small area of the sky. A remarkable number to see together I thought

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    1. John24 January 2017 at 19:51

      It would have been these birds. A lady that lives in the area is now feeding them so there are quite large numbers gathering at times.
      J

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    2. Unknown9 February 2017 at 12:24

      I saw a group of about 40 red kites today in, I guess, the same area. Very similar to the daily Red Kite feeding at Bwlch Nant Yr Arian Visitor Centre near Aberysthwyth, albeit on a smaller scale.
      Sadly, I didn't clock the exact point on the A1(M) that I saw them.

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  8. Unknown9 February 2017 at 12:29

    I saw similar grouping yesterday. Similar to the daily feed at Bwlch Nant Yr Arian Visitor Centre near Aberystwyth, albeit on a smaller scale. I foolishly failed to log where we were on the A1(M) (other than just north of Junction 15) Any ideas of a rough grid reference as I often am driving up/down the A1?

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    1. John14 February 2017 at 16:48

      Hi Fin Ron! The area in question is at the junction of Norman Cross. Yaxley and Stilton. The site in question is on the old north road, close to a scrap yard and telephone pylon thing. Sorry, don't know the grid ref.
      J

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  9. Unknown1 May 2017 at 21:57

    This morning we saw two red kites fighting over the kill one had just as we approached the Peterborough Show Ground for Truckfest. My son and I had never seen them wild before and they were only 20 feet above the road. Looked it up and can say one of the most elegant birds of prey we have seen. We don't get them around where we live in Cambridge but birds of prey prevalent car has increased massively near us over last ten years.

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    1. John6 May 2017 at 10:11

      Hi James! We have quite a few around here and numbers seem to be increasing. Lovely birds and to think that a few years ago they were on the verge of extinction!
      J

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  10. Unknown26 December 2017 at 11:46

    Seen a group (what's the word for a large group of raptors or better yet red kites?) of red kites twice on the A1 at Norman cross, December 2017

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  11. Carl Hudson11 February 2018 at 20:41

    Drove through there today or Kite Alley as I've christened it. Reckon there was between 30 or 40 flying around, a tremendous sight!

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