Wildlife Getting Closer

[Bakerboy 4,736]

49 minutes ago, Borr said:

I've noticed a massive decline in buzzard numbers, I remember seeing eleven buzzards over one pheasant drive at one time, here in west Wales probably see one buzzard and half a dozen kites in the day...

I drove from S.Wales to Ynys Mon last week almost the full length of the 470, passed the feeding farm, Red kites are like crows up mid Wales now

[forest of dean redneck 11,613]

First time I seen a red kite was when I lived in wales in  2011 an it was near Abergavenny . 
Moved to Dorset in 2018 and seen pair at stourhead house in summer then would see them near blandford when hay or silage was being cut and now see them nearly every month even seen one at ringstead near Weymouth . 
same with polecats seen loads dead on road near Monmouth one up near Dan yr ogof caves area. 
couple years ago I seen one  in summer near wareham and yesterday I seen one roadkill near bere Regis . 
Unfortunately it’s either predators or deer that’s spreading while lot of other species are declining .

[gnasher16 30,121]

2 hours ago, shaaark said:

Gigrin farm, Rhayader.

Went there a couple of times, many years ago.

Elan Valley, mid Wales.

 

@gnasher16

The visitor centre, the reservoirs etc, are  beautiful places to visit, mate, but it's a fair old drive, about 200 miles, from your neck of the woods.

Yep been there a few times mate as im up in mid Wales a few times per year.....fascinating when they sling all the grub down you see they're quite a powerful bird.

Oh so theres no complicated eco reason then i was hoping it might have something to do with concreting them out of the countryside so i could add it to my ammo against the lefties 

Ive had the bins out watching them plenty of times but cant get any decent pics with my crappy camera,fascinating to watch though.....thanks for explaining chaps 

[MH1 1,873]

I was in Rhayader the other week, must've been bin day, they were all over the pavements like pigeons lol 

[gnasher16 30,121]

3 hours ago, DIDO.1 said:

In medieval times red kites were like the sea gulls of today....they were common in towns and cities. They are scavengers not hunters. If they are hunting it can be worms and small stuff so they are suited to living around man. I think that's right anyway.....we don't really get em up here so I probably just made that up. 

Do you see them dead on roads if they are scavenging on road kill and get hit themselves or are they too clever for that? 

I've seen two round here in 20 years, both high and passing through. 

I see plenty on the M11 around Stansted theres a stretch of about 2 miles where i counted i think it was 6 Red Kites and 5 Fallow Deer roadkill in various states of ruin the other day its another one of the wildlife mysteries i was tempted to ask you's all about......it was like some sort of suicide pact had taken place as they definitely wasnt there a couple days previous.

[NEWKID 27,163]

1 hour ago, Greyman said:

Loads of buzzards here red kites starting to make appearances more and more and muntjac deer spreading like wildfire otters are seen more and more as well see sign of them at least once a week 

Same here mate, only seen red kite twice down here but loads of buzzards, but travel along the M4 and as soon you pass Swindon it's all red kites and less buzzards.. same with those parakeets around London, i remember 20 odd years ago seeing a couple of them at my uncles in Surrey and being fascinated by them, now they are everywhere up there, you see more of them than pigeons! Some animals really prosper kites are certainly one of them, from a few releases and feeding stations to thousands of them...

[forest of dean redneck 11,613]

2 minutes ago, NEWKID said:

Same here mate, only seen red kite twice down here but loads of buzzards, but travel along the M4 and as soon you pass Swindon it's all red kites and less buzzards.. same with those parakeets around London, i remember 20 odd years ago seeing a couple of them at my uncles in Surrey and being fascinated by them, now they are everywhere up there, you see more of them than pigeons! Some animals really prosper kites are certainly one of them, from a few releases and feeding stations to thousands of them...

You reminded me someone pictured a ring neck in a garden in Dorset other day an a few people said they had spread all over London .but looks like they are starting to live in Dorset ?

[gnasher16 30,121]

10 minutes ago, NEWKID said:

Same here mate, only seen red kite twice down here but loads of buzzards, but travel along the M4 and as soon you pass Swindon it's all red kites and less buzzards.. same with those parakeets around London, i remember 20 odd years ago seeing a couple of them at my uncles in Surrey and being fascinated by them, now they are everywhere up there, you see more of them than pigeons! Some animals really prosper kites are certainly one of them, from a few releases and feeding stations to thousands of them...

Them green Parakeets drive me f****n mental screeching little c**ts another bird we've got in abundance round these parts.

[NEWKID 27,163]

6 minutes ago, gnasher16 said:

Them green Parakeets drive me f****n mental screeching little c**ts another bird we've got in abundance round these parts.

My uncle says the same, he hates them, they are in plague proportions up your way mate, a novelty to see for a day or 2 for us but I would imagine the racket they make would get right on your tits 

[forest of dean redneck 11,613]

8 minutes ago, gnasher16 said:

Them green Parakeets drive me f****n mental screeching little c**ts another bird we've got in abundance round these parts.

I feel same about herring gulls  they sometimes keep going through the night if there’s plenty of street lights . And really start at dawn in the summer .

[Born Hunter 17,775]

Simply a case of the population recovering and their geographic range expanding as a result. I live in the sticks and they turned up here about 5 years ago and are quite prevalent now. First time I ever saw them was 15 years ago while labouring on a site in Henley.

[gnasher16 30,121]

4 minutes ago, forest of dean redneck said:

I feel same about herring gulls  they sometimes keep going through the night if there’s plenty of street lights . And really start at dawn in the summer .

Its funny what you get used to id quite like the sound of gulls it would remind me of being at the seaside  probably do my nut in after a while though...... i could stand outside looking to the sky for an hour and probably see more Red Kites and Parakeets than id see Pigeons the Kites i quite like but the Parakeets just dont stop making a racket till complete darkness !

[NEWKID 27,163]

13 minutes ago, forest of dean redneck said:

You reminded me someone pictured a ring neck in a garden in Dorset other day an a few people said they had spread all over London .but looks like they are starting to live in Dorset ?

Like everything they will spread as the population grows and they need to find new territories for nesting sites and food ..I'm sure you'll see them in Dorset and theyll be in Devon making a racket!

[forest of dean redneck 11,613]

18 minutes ago, NEWKID said:

Like everything they will spread as the population grows and they need to find new territories for nesting sites and food ..I'm sure you'll see them in Dorset and theyll be in Devon making a racket!

I think it was on a fb bird watching page I seen it there was talk of a colony of budgies as well . 
The way the peregrines are spreading as well they will be glad of the food source .

[forest of dean redneck 11,613]

22 minutes ago, gnasher16 said:

Its funny what you get used to id quite like the sound of gulls it would remind me of being at the seaside  probably do my nut in after a while though...... i could stand outside looking to the sky for an hour and probably see more Red Kites and Parakeets than id see Pigeons the Kites i quite like but the Parakeets just dont stop making a racket till complete darkness !

Where I’m to it’s robins and blackbirds at dawn with plump wood pigeons bonking on the roof

everyone says you  get used to the seagulls after a while but I’m only there at weekends so I don’t get used to it