Northern Kites update 16/07/07

News

Our summer placement volunteer Giedre Tomkeviciute [tom-ke-vi-chew-tay] is a student from Lithuania, who has been helping with the project's public engagement work during June and July.  Giedre is from Kaunas, in Lithuania, is 22 years old and is in the final year of her Bachelor of Arts degree, studying Economics, at Vilnius University.  The European Union's Youth Programme has supported her visit.

Community Kite Clusters.  We have commenced some work in some of the Community Kite Clusters.  A display panel has been erected in the National Park Visitor Centre at Ingram, near Powburn in Northumberland.  Julie and Ken did some work with A-level students at school assembly delivered to Teesdale School at Barnard Castle.  That school is in turn undertaking work with a suite of its feeder schools - many of which now want to adopt kites.

Bird news

Since the last new update, the weather has been absolutely appalling for nesting, as well as adult, kites.  We have had a number of problems relating to the weather.  These include adult kites picked up in poor condition and having to be taken into rehabilitation (for feeding up) and no doubt, there will have been some associated nest failures.  It really has been a dreadful period for nesting birds.  Despite this, we still expect to be able to announce success at a number of nests (we hope), more of which in your next update.

News hot off the press, one of the two babies (wing tag Pink/Purple A3) from the nest at Paddock Hill Woods (the Kitewatch site) fledged during the morning of Sunday 15th July.

Where to see birds

Still THE place to see kites, for the next week or two at least (we hope), is the Kitewatch watch point.  This will continue to be staffed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily and, weather permitting, until Sunday 5th August 2007 - assuming that the young birds stay in the vicinity of the nest.  Please continue to tell as many people as you possibly can to go and enjoy the kites there; the coming weekend should be excellent with both babies having fledged by then.

Birds continue to have a daily presence over Rowlands Gill village and over the housing estates in Winlaton (try going to the small market garden at the bottom of the Derwent valley, where the Project Manger was recently watching kites whilst picking strawberries!)