There are 5-6 sightings over Southampton every year, but that is a statistical probability issue - there are nearly 250,000 people in Southampton, so a bird flying over is really likely to be seen. I have never seen one from my house in Farnham, but if I sat on the roof every day I’d probably see one within a year.

Keith Betton

Your Farnborough bird does not sound right - and they generally don’t swoop into trees. I am about 3 miles S of you and I have never seen one in the Farnborough area.

Keith

I just noticed your discussions about Red Kites. I am licenced by DEFRA to study them at close quarters in Hampshire, and so I thought I’d share my findings.

2008 has seen a continuation in the expansion of Red Kites breeding in the county with nine nests identified with five of these known to have hatched a total of ten young (two at each nest). Results from three sites are not known, while disturbance at another prevented breeding. The likely breeding population of Red Kites in Hampshire is undoubtedly larger than these records suggest.

At two of the nests a total of four chicks were fitted with radio transmitters, and all are still alive in early October. They are ranging around E Berkshire, S Buckinghamshire, E Wiltshire and NW Hampshire.

This is major milestone for the county, where breeding ceased in 1864. Very few sightings were made until the mid-1990s. For example only 11 sightings were reported in 1992, but there were around 200 reports in 1999.

Despite the relatively few sightings at the time, single pairs nested in Hampshire in 1995 and 1996. Then there was a big gap until 2003 when a pair established a regular nest which has been used every year since. However no other nests were discovered until 2007 when an additional two pairs bred – although we suspect one of these also nested in 2006.

The Hawk Conservancy Trust released 12 birds in Hampshire between 2003 and 2005. At least two of these have remained in the county and are known to have bred in 2008.

A winter roost of Red Kites in N Hampshire was discovered in early 2006. Numbers here peak at around 60 and the majority of those present are immature birds. There are at least two other roosts in NE/N Hampshire with 40 and 20 birds respectively.

I hope that helps. I am particularly keen that we keep an eye on any nests, so I’d welcome any information, but because Red Kites are still of interest to egg collectors, please send me this directly and not in the public arena.

Keith Betton
Assistant Recorder
Hampshire Ornithological Society

keithbetton@hotmail.com