RED KITE Milvus milvus Resident and scarce breeder.

1991 – A juvenile flew south at Timble Ings on 13th January. There followed three January sightings with singles at a site in Wharfedale on 19th and 27th. The next report was from the same area but not until 23rd March when a juvenile was seen flying down the valley. Finally, singles were reported from this area in April on 9th and 10th. It is known that a young Swedish bird released in Scotland last year under RSPB’s re-introduction scheme was in Wharfedale for at least part of the first winter period. It is assumed that all records refer to that individual.

Red Kite photo: Stephen Lilley 1992 – There was just two records. Firstly a bird was observed in Wharfedale on 29th February. This was possibly the same bird recorded regularly in 1991. The second sighting was on 10th October when a bird was seen hunting at Hoodstorth.

1993 – There was one record - a single bird seen at Triangle in the Ryburn Valley on 4th December.

1996 – A bird gave excellent views as it soared over Halton Heights on 31st March and delighted the lucky observers before it drifted west towards Skipton.

1997 – A good year, with four single birds reported, though all sightings were of fly-overs. The earliest sighting was of a bird over Askwith Moor on 12th July, which constitutes the Group’s first- ever summer record of this species – and perhaps accounts for a further sighting shortly after this, of a bird over the Bolton area of Bradford. The next reported sighting was not until 9th September before disappearing northwards. Finally, a bird flew up Wharfedale over Barden Moor on 26th October.

The increasing incidence of this graceful raptor in the recording area must be due to the success of the recent re-introduction schemes in southern England and northern Scotland and, with a further scheme underway in the midlands, we might expect birds to turn up more often in our area; even breeding (an impossible prospect not so long ago) might be on the cards eventually. Although none of this year’s birds appeared to be wing-tagged, tags can be difficult to detect in the field, and all four birds sighted almost certainly emanated from the introduced stock.

1998 – There was just one record; a bird flying west up Wharfedale at Clifton (near Otley) on 19th October.

1999 – The eagerly-awaited scheme to re-introduce the species to Yorkshire finally got underway during the summer, with the release of a number of juveniles on the Harewood estate to the north of Leeds. The site chosen was a welcome surprise, as it is much closer to the eastern boundary of the Group’s recording area than was anticipated. The scheme is to continue with further releases over the next few years, and so we look forward to recording this elegant raptor more and more often as numbers increase and birds begin to wander. Breeding in the vicinity of the release site

BOG 1991 - 2018 1 25 August 2019 should begin after two years, and there is now a real prospect of the species eventually becoming established within the Group’s recording area.

Although 1999 was an improvement on the previous year, with three records, these all came from the north-western corner of the Group’s recording area. It was also finally disappointing in that so little was seen of the released birds, but it is early days yet. The first record, from Barden Moor on 25th April, was of particular interest in that it involved two birds. Barden Moor featured again on 3rd August, but this time with a single, while a bird was reported from nearby Barden Fell on 17th August. The year’s final two records are thought to relate to the same individual which had strayed from the release site mentioned above, but the earlier record pre-dates the release and must have involved birds from further afield.

2000 – An average year for a species which is now expected annually, probably as a result of the various reintroduction schemes.

Records were submitted from the Barden Scale area and Blubberhouses, and all were of single birds. It is considered that two individuals were involved. The first was seen at Barden on 18th March, with another there on 6th May. A bird seen at Blubberhouses on 18th March was undoubtedly the one seen flying east at Barden a short time earlier. Two other unsupported records were received, relating to birds at Barden Scale and Ovenden Moor.

2001 – Sightings continue to increase, but the suspicion must remain that these are fuelled by introduced birds from the Harewood estate, although only one bird was seen to be definitely tagged.

Birds were recorded between March and November at Barden Scale, Lindley Wood Reservoir, Otley, Knotford Nook and Timble Ings, and the pattern of sightings tends to suggest that a maximum of 10 birds was involved, although a handful of wandering birds could have accounted for all the records.

2002 – Birds were recorded between February and November, with nearly all the sightings in the first half of the year. By far the most records came from the Barden area, but with other birds seen at Blubberhouses, Denton, Hazlewood Moor, Sykes Ghyll, Kex Gill and Farnley. The notes provided suggest that about nine different birds may have been involved.

Whilst some birds were untagged, there must be a distinct probability that most, if not all, originate from introduction schemes.

2003 - There are now far too many records to enumerate. Birds were noted in all months from a variety of sites. All the tagged birds noted have originated from the Harewood release scheme and it is presumed that most if not all untagged birds are from this scheme as well. The highest count was of eight near the 12 Apostle Stones on Rombald’s Moor in Early May and contained both tagged Harewood birds and birds without tags. Up to three were regularly seen in the Timble Ings/ Blubberhouses area in April and birds were regularly reported in Wharfedale during the summer months.

2004 - Reports are now coming from many parts of the area in all months of the year as a result of the expanding and highly successful Harewood re-introduction scheme. Even more encouraging was the recording area’s first breeding attempt that involved a second-year male and a first-year female rearing two chicks to fledging. In addition to this, regular display was observed at various

BOG 1991 - 2018 2 25 August 2019 sites during the late winter and early spring, which bodes well for further breeding attempts in future years.

2005 - The Report for as recently as 2000 described that year as being average, with four records of probably two birds. This year, just short of 200 records have been submitted, covering every month! That said, it should be stressed that the vast majority of these came from the same location, Barden Scale, and reflect the diligence of the regular observer (AGG), so they do not necessarily indicate the total number of birds actually present in the recording area. Whilst some birds were individually identified by tags, others weren’t, and assessment of numbers is therefore impossible.

It can, however, be said that multiple sightings at this location were fairly commonplace, and on one occasion, 19th November, six birds were seen. Other records came almost entirely from the Otley area and the Washburn Valley, where at least five birds were present on 22nd June. The one exception was a welcome sighting in the south, where a bird was present at Warley Moor on 21st March.

Clearly all this is reflective of the success of the Harewood introduction scheme, and it is pleasing to report that for the second successive year a pair bred in the recording area, successfully fledging two young, whilst another pair was present all spring at another location.

2006 - The 260 reports submitted in 2006 represented a record for this species. Any euphoria must, however, be subject to a few caveats:

* Nearly 150 of the records came from one location, Barden Scale, and there were many other sightings in the same general area, presumably referable to the same birds.

* All but four of the remaining records came from the Washburn Valley and the lower part of Wharfedale, suggesting the birds originated from the Harewood scheme.

* Many of the Barden sightings referred to a pair resident in the area, identified by numbered wing- tags.

It is therefore difficult to evaluate the true extent of the birds’ spread from the Harewood introduction site, but multiple sightings, particularly at Barden, were commonplace, and six birds were seen on two occasions, and seven and eight birds once, this last sighting on 30th September, being a day record for the Group (AGG). Elsewhere, seven birds were seen together at Lindley Green on 26th March. Whilst wing-tags on many of the birds seen at Barden identified these as also having local origins, a bird which summered in the area was identified by the same means as being from another introduction scheme in Northamptonshire, so it is clear not all the birds seen are necessarily local.

Last year, only one record came from a location away from the above-mentioned core areas: this year there were four. On 3rd June, a bird was seen at Thornton Moor Reservoir, and what might have been the same bird eight days later at nearby Warley Moor, though there had been no other sightings in the interim period. Denholme Clough is a known autumn migration flyway, so the bird seen there on 4th October could have been relocating. Finally, there was an intriguing record of a bird over Canal Road, Bradford (within a half-mile of the City Centre) on 28th May.

Once again, it is pleasing to report a breeding success, as the birds which in 2005 spent the spring at a potential nesting area, raised two young there this year. Both parents were from the BOG 1991 - 2018 3 25 August 2019 Harewood scheme, and one was a second-generation bird. Given the numbers clearly now present in the area, it would be nice to see more successes in future years.

2007 - Once again, about 260 records were submitted, but this year there was an even greater bias towards the Barden area, as 200 of the reports originated there or in the immediate vicinity. Of the remainder, almost all the sightings were from around Otley, including the lower reaches of the Washburn Valley, and only two reports came from the south of the area: single birds at Dowley Gap on 22nd January, and at St. Ives on 24th March.

Nearly all the Barden records (and therefore 75% of the total) were, as usual, produced by one dedicated observer (AGG), whose monitoring of the area and collation of the tags carried by some birds indicates that, as well as resident birds, there is a mobile and fluctuating population there. This is illustrated by the presence from 3rd February to the year-end of a bird originating in Dumfries and Galloway, and another (and possibly two) from a Midlands introduction scheme, on 20th January and 13th September.

Birds were seen in this part of Wharfedale on an almost daily basis, and sightings of up to three birds were almost commonplace, with frequent observations of up to six from the beginning of October. There were particularly good counts of eight birds on 22nd January, and a Group record- breaking nine on 6th November. Lower down the dale, reports were generally of ones and twos, but five birds were seen near Leathley on 20th December.

In addition to this welter of sightings, it is pleasing to report attempted breeding by a record number of at least five pairs of birds at widespread locations. Whilst one pair failed, it is known there was a minimum of seven young from the other nests. It is understood one of the parents came from the Gateshead area introductions : another indication of the spread of birds into our area.

2008 - Wharfedale and the Washburn Valley continue to produce the majority of the records, and reports of singles over Oxenhope in March and July, Denholme Clough in September, and Queensbury in October are likely to be of relocating birds. Up to six birds were seen from Barden Scale throughout the year, and nine were there on 19th September. At least one pair bred successfully, but other apparent pairs were seen, and this aspect may have been under-recorded 2009 - Unlikely as this would have seemed less than 20 years ago, Red Kite is now the Group’s best-recorded species. As usual, almost all the reports came from the Washburn Valley and Wharfedale (particularly Barden Scale), and only a few reports from four Airedale locations indicate the birds’ limited range expansion. For once, Barden didn’t have the highest day count, which was seven birds at Lindley Wood in February. Five pairs raised young in the stronghold areas, and a few juveniles were seen away from known nest sites.

2010 - Though clearly well-established in Wharfedale and the Washburn Valley, the many reports received include an increasing number from the areas around Rombalds Moor, Airedale and the Worth Valley and it seems birds are gradually continuing to extend their range. Barden Scale continues to produce the biggest day counts, although the maximum of five seen in September was down on some other recent years. Four nests were located in Wharfedale, and also in the Washburn, and at least nine young were seen, but, regrettably, three poisoned young birds were also discovered.

2011 - A clearly popular and generally well-reported species, particularly in Lower Wharfedale, but several factors may point to a possible setback for the bird locally. The maximum count of six was somewhat down on several other recent years, and came from Lindley Wood Reservoir rather than Barden, in the past the stronghold, from where little data was received, and which had a highest BOG 1991 - 2018 4 25 August 2019 day total of three. It is hoped this is simply due to under-recording here. Whilst birds continue to be seen in Airedale and around the fringes of Rombald’s and Baildon Moors, the spread seems to have halted, though sightings around Oxenhope and Warley Moors could be encouraging. Finally, specific breeding information came from only three sites, where six young were raised. Future monitoring will indicate whether any perceived setback is temporary.

2012 - With around 230 records, Red Kite continues to be well-reported, but the downward trend mentioned in last year’s Report, whilst no worse, doesn’t appear to have improved significantly. More positively, breeding successes seem to have stabilised, and five pairs at that number of fairly adjacent sites produced 11 young, some of which were ringed. There has been little recovery in the numbers of birds seen around Barden, where the maximum day-count was five, just bettered by the year’s maxima of six near Norwood on 10th August, and at Timble Ings on 6th October. The lower Washburn and Wharfedale (in particular the corridor between Pool and Otley) remain the strongholds, and whilst there were 12 reports from around Airedale, there has clearly been no expansion there.

2013 - With 244 records, much in-line with last year, the Red Kite continues to be well- reported and although concern has been expressed, numbers appear to have stabilised. Breeding successes were similar, and five pairs at that number of fairly adjacent sites produced 12 young, all of which were ringed. A bird seen at Barden bore a pink tag on each wing that identifies it as being from the Gateshead population and hatched in 2009. The bird was seen eating prey in front of Lower Fell Plantation. Only small numbers were regularly seen here, but the main concentration appears to be elsewhere. In the Otley area, eight birds circled over Weston on the 8th February and in the Washburn, six were over Norwood on 15th April and four over Lindley Wood on 30th March.

Although Wharfedale remains the stronghold, the bird is dispersing into Airedale, perhaps more slowly than anticipated. There were 46 reports from around the south of the area, almost four times the number recorded in 2012. Most birds were seen over Baildon, Hawksworth and Bingley Moors, with one at Leeshaw, and others at Queensbury and Wyke.

2014 - With over 200 records, slightly lower than the last two years, the Red Kite has continued to make solid progress and is well-established, particularly in Wharfedale. Breeding success occurred at four sites where seven juveniles were ringed. Unfortunately at one site a nest was dislodged from a tree and two nestlings were found dead. A young bird seen over March Ghyll Reservoir on Middleton Moor wore a tag which suggested it had spread from the collection of Kites released in Cumbria (AGG). A particularly exciting moment occurred when eight Kites were watched circling a newly cut hay meadow east of Otley on 24th June (PK). During the winter period up to five birds were seen at Weeton, Norwood Bottom, Snowden Moor and Middleton Moor.

Away from Wharfedale, birds continued to spread into Airedale, with regular sightings of pairs over Bingley and Baildon, and there were reports of birds over Esholt in April and Eccleshill in July. There was also a scattering of reports from further south. In July a bird was seen from Penistone Hill, Oxenhope and on 12th September another flew over Queensbury. On a warm sunny day in early September, a Red Kite was watched as it flew about 2 metres from the ground over Oldfield Road, near Stanbury.

2015 - This year there were 180 records, a slight drop on the two previous years. Perhaps the novelty of seeing these majestic birds soaring over woodland or skimming over rooftops has begun to wear off and there is now the feeling that this species is beginning to suffer from under- recording. BOG 1991 - 2018 5 25 August 2019 Those birders who combined their interest in walking and birding were often rewarded with excellent views. Up to four Red Kites were occasionally seen on Rombalds Moor and up to six graced the skies over Kex Gill. Others were seen around Leathley and at John O’Gaunt’s Reservoir and Norwood Edge. The biggest single day’s haul was seven on Hazlewood Moor in early August.

The Yorkshire Red Kite Report from Doug Simpson has indicated that there were 61 breeding pairs in West Yorkshire and 40 pairs in North Yorkshire, with an average number of young raised per successful pair of 1.88. Two of the three nests which attracted attention in this area were abandoned, either through storm damage or disturbance caused by woodland management close to the nest. At the third nest, breeding did not take place, though there were signs of pairing and displaying at three other locations in spring.

Away from the Wharfedale and Washburn areas there were many sightings of birds on the southern slopes of Rombalds Moor and an unusual one of a bird flying west very low over Keighley Moor Reservoir on 12th August. Further singles were seen over Greengates on 20th June and Caldene Fields on 26th October.

2016 - The reference in last year’s Report to possible under-recording seems to have galvanised contributors, as this year an excellent 240 reports were received, which is all the more impressive bearing in mind that few records now originate from the formerly prolific Barden Scale.

Other recent Reports have alluded to the exponential rise of this impressive raptor following the introduction scheme, and groups of up to five or six are now almost the norm, so this Report will restrict itself to mention of nine at Denton, eight birds taking advantage of a recently cut field near Hawksworth, the same number in the Washburn, and a record count of 17 birds at a roost there on 6th March (AJ).

Despite the spread of Red Kite, it is still a scarce bird south of the Aire, and the few reports were of singles over Queensbury (twice), Marley Hall Farm, Keighley Moor, Warley Moor, Tong and the centre of Bradford. Elsewhere, birds are commonly seen over the suburbs, as typified by the many reports from Otley.

All but one of the breeding records came from the ringer associated with much other breeding data. At two nests in Wharfedale only one of the two young survived, but 17 young were raised from six nests in the Washburn. At the other location, there was no direct evidence of breeding success, but food-carrying to a known nest was observed.

2017 - Well-reported again, and counts of up to nine birds are now commonplace. Notable totals were 11 at Weston and Kex Gill, 15 at Yeadon and a record 24 seen from Norwood Edge on 3rd June (AJ). Breeding occurred at three sites in the Washburn and one in Wharfedale, and a minimum of 14 young were seen.

2018 - From the spread of the many records, Red Kite can now almost be described as ubiquitous. Multiple counts were regular, and there were four of between and 10 and 22 birds, the latter near Leathley in April. Given the numbers, the single breeding report from Washburn Valley must be unrepresentative.

BOG 1991 - 2018 6 25 August 2019