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.

21 comments:

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

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    1. 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. Awesome! What beautiful birds they are. Surely the most magnificent bird of prey in the UK?
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    1. 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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  3. Great photos and confirms what we saw yesterday driving up A1 from A14

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

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

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    1. 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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  6. 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. 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. 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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  7. 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. 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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  8. 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. 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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  9. 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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  10. 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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