RED KITES
media release June 2006 KITE WATCH LAUNCHED IN GATESHEAD ’S DERWENT VALLEY
A new Kite Watchpoint has been launched where visitors can see magnificent red kites soaring over Gateshead’s Derwent Valley, the Northern Kites project and Gateshead Council announced today (16 June 2006). The watchpoint overlooks the nest site of the first red kites to breed in north east England for almost 200 years and will be open daily until the end of July. A team of volunteers and staff will be on the Nine Arches Viaduct in the Derwent Walk Country Park between 10am and 5pm daily from now until the end of July to show visitors the kites, and to talk about the project and Gateshead ’s wonderful countryside. Panoramic views from the top of the Viaduct will give visitors the best possible chance to see kites – which have a wingspan of more than 5ft – soaring over the Derwent Valley . Binoculars and telescopes will be available for people to use. The Northern Kites project is managed by the RSPB and English Nature, working in partnership with Gateshead Council, Northumbrian Water, The National Trust and Forestry Commission, with additional funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and SITA Trust. The nest of the first kites to breed in north east England for almost 200 years is nearby and although the nest itself is not visible, there should be good views of the parents bringing food to the young. As the chicks grow, they will eventually move around the nest site and will eventually take their maiden flight. To reach the Viewpoint on the viaduct, follow the marked trails from the car park at Winlaton Mill (opposite the garage at the traffic lights) on the A694. It is approximately a 25 minute walk from the car park to the viaduct along a route that is also suitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs. Councillor John McElroy, Gateshead Council’s Cabinet member responsible for Culture says: "This is a truly historic event - the first red kites to be born in Gateshead since the reign of George the Third. And its one the whole region can join in with. "To have them nesting so close to Gateshead 's Derwent Walk, where tens of thousands of people will have the chance to watch them, is almost too good to be true. It's brilliant news - I am so excited, I feel like a new parent! "We expect the parent birds to be pretty busy in the next few weeks, with lots of to-ing and fro-ing form the nest, so the viewpoint we are setting up on the viaduct is bound to offer great views of these beautiful birds bringing food to their chicks." Red kites are a large bird of prey, with a wingspan of almost 2m (over 5½ft). Kites are one of the most beautiful birds of prey in Europe and are famed for their stunning rusty-red plumage, forked tail and long elegant wings. They became extinct in the north of England during the early 1800s. How to get there: By car – from the A1 follow the A694 to the car park at Winlaton Mill By bus – take the 45, 46, 46a, 47 or 47a from Newcastle or the Metro Centre, stopping at the Winlaton Mill car park. (Traveline telephone: 0870 6082608) Winlaton Mill village is located less than two miles from Gateshead ’s Metrocentre
Friday 21 January 2005 Issued on behalf of Northern Kites – a partnership between English Nature, the RSPB, Gateshead Council, Northumbrian Water, The National Trust and The Forestry Commission RED KITE FOUND DEAD IN NORTHUMBERLAND
WAS POISONED A red kite found dead in Northumberland was illegally poisoned, the Northern Kites project team announced today (Friday 21 January 2005). The project partners have joined Northumbria Police in appealing to the public for information about the incident.
Remains of Red Kite No.10. This bird showed very well to many observers in August 2004 in Sunniside Park, only to be poisioned in Northumberland 2 months later. Northumberland continues to uphold its reputation as one of the worst areas in the UK for Raptor persecution The kite had been ‘adopted’ by local school, Winlaton West Lane Community Primary School, and staff and children are shocked by the death of ‘their’ kite. The kite was one of the birds released into Gateshead’s Derwent Valley last summer as part of a pioneering project to bring the rare birds to the North East of England. Northern Kites is a world-first in returning the rare and spectacular birds of prey to an urban fringe location. Expert analysis has revealed that a lethal dose of the poison carbofuran killed the kite. Anyone convicted of breaking the law by deliberately killing a red kite could be fined as much as £5000 and face up to six months in jail. People in the North East will be
outraged by news of the unnecessary death of the kite, say the
Northern Kites partners. The kites have quickly become a popular
attraction in the region and each of the birds has already been
‘adopted’ by a local school. The return of red kites
will also draw many new visitors to the North East, bringing economic
benefits to the region. Each kite has a uniquely numbered id tag on its wing, and this particular bird was Wing Tag 10. The corpse was discovered close to the remains of a rabbit and a pheasant, both of which were deliberately and illegally laced with carbofuran. Kites are mainly carrion feeders and the red kite died after feeding on this poisoned ‘bait’. The kite was discovered in Tynedale in October, after the project team traced it using signals beamed from a tiny radio transmitter fitted to the bird. The sophisticated tracking technology allows the whereabouts of individual kites to be pinpointed. Extensive laboratory post mortem analysis has been carried out on the bird and the poisoned bait since the discovery, and the test results have just been received. Northumbria Police’s Wildlife Crime Officer, PC Paul Henery, has carried out extensive enquiries locally, but has been unable to establish who was responsible for laying the poisoned bait. If anyone has any information about the incident, they can contact PC Henery in confidence on 01661 868514 Martyn Howat, Regional Director of English Nature said: “People in the North East have taken the kites to their hearts since these magnificent birds returned to the skies over northern England. I am sure that local people will agree with us that the loss of this rare and beautiful bird to poisoning is an outrage. English Nature is determined to do all it can to see an end to incidents of this kind. Given that a great deal of public money goes towards the red kite project, I would expect the public mood to condemn this incident. The people of the North East have given the red kite the thumbs up – they’ve welcomed their return to the region, so the few people who are committing illegal acts of this type should stop.” Andy Bunten, RSPB North of England regional director, added: “The RSPB is appalled that the poisoning and persecution which drove these birds to extinction two hundreds years ago is continuing. This shocking incident should be a wake up call to the Government to act quickly to plug a loophole in the law, which currently allows people to possess lethal poisons, irrespective of whether they have been trained in their use or have a legitimate reason for their possession.” The RSPB is urging Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government to include in the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 a new offence of ‘having in one’s possession or control any pesticide without lawful authority or reasonable excuse’. In Scotland, the loophole will be closed this spring, leaving English law lagging behind and endangering our wildlife. Councillor Mick Henry, leader of Gateshead Council and chair of Northumbria Police Authority, says "Such a reckless act not only shows a complete disregard for the law but also an utter contempt for wildlife. "It is my sincere hope that the person who laid this poison will be brought to justice. We are urging anyone who has information about either the perpetrator or the poison used by them to contact Northumbria Police immediately. "Most of our red kites have happily made their home in West Gateshead where local people have really taken them to their hearts - so to have one destroyed in this way will arouse a great deal of anger. "We are extremely privileged to have been entrusted with such an important project as Northern Kites. The potential benefits to the whole region are enormous, so an incident such as this really lets the region down. "The person who committed this act has to be stopped before any more innocent wildlife - or indeed family pets - are similarly poisoned." Alistair Baker, Northumbrian Water’s Communications and PR Manager, said: “The death of this harmless bird was unnecessary and entirely avoidable. Sadly, someone in Northumberland is living in a time warp and needs to understand that these days the use of poison in this way to kill wildlife is illegal, indiscriminate and inexcusable.” Northern Kites is a joint initiative between English Nature, the RSPB, Gateshead Council, Northumbrian Water, The National Trust and the Forestry Commission, with additional funding from The Heritage Lottery Fund and SITA Environmental Trust. The aim of the Northern Kites initiative is to establish a self-sustaining breeding population of red kites in the North East of England. Despite the loss of this bird, the Northern Kites team are optimistic about the future of the project. Of the 20 red kites released last year, 13 remain in the immediate area of Gateshead’s Derwent Valley, with others known to be elsewhere in the North East.
For further information, or to
arrange an interview, please contact:
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds North of England Office Amethyst Road Newcastle Business Park Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 7YL
Fax: 0191 233 4322 e mail: david.hirst@rspb.org.uk The RSPB is the UK charity working to secure a healthy environment for birds and wildlife, helping to create a better world for us all
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