Records

S. Gloucestershire from Tog Hill - November 2005

THE BIRDS OF SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

RED KITE – Milvus milvus

As with all reports of rare and scarce birds they are subject to ratification by the respective rarities committees

There are no specific records of this species for S. Gloucestershire prior to 1957 but it was probably a resident formerly. They were apparently 'abundant and remarkably rapacious' in the 16th century and still 'widespread over the country' as late as 1777. Evidently Red Kite was well known in many parts of the region early in the nineteenth century but by 1850 had greatly decreased in numbers and subsequently only occurring infrequently. Kite stems from the Old English 'cyta' and the Middle English 'kyte' and is imitative of the long drawn out whistling call. 'Milvus' is a direct translation from Latin meaning Kite. Some historical names for Red Kite include; Fork Tail, Glead Hawk, Scoul, Baegez and Bascutan.

There have been around forty Red Kites reported from S. Gloucestershire in modern times, they are;

1957: (1)

On March 3rd one was seen near Tockington flying south-west at approximately 300 ft. Salient features noted were the large size, forked tail and wings longer and less rounded than in Buzzard with characteristic light patches on undersides.

1985: (1)

One was watched flying over Elberton Wood on April 20th and seen to disappear into the wood.

1988: (1)

A single bird was seen on March 26th at Hanham Mills.

1994: (2)

One was seen on March 2nd at Filton and was watched in flight heading east over the airfield; One was seen on May 1st at Downend.

1996: (1)

One was noted on April 27th at Framton Cotterell.

1997: (1)

One was seen in flight high and heading south-east on February 2nd at Tortworth.

1999: (1)

One was seen in flight at Easter Compton heading north-east on July 30th.

2000: (1)

One was seen on August 28th over Eastwood Park near Tortworth.

2001: (1)

An adult was seen on June 3rd near Shirehill Farm to the north-east of Marshfield and drifting south-west.

2002: (1)

One was seen in flight heading east on March 28th at Stoke Gifford.

2003: (1)

One was watched on May 10th at Hinton Hill near Dyrham Park. ST: 745 766.

2004: (1)

A single bird was seen over the M4/ M5 junction at Almondsbury on April 29th.

2005: (4)

On March 20th an adult was seen flying east over Severn Beach; An individual was watched over Filton Airfield on May 6th; A presumed adult was watched at 16:55 on May 14th in the Shire Valley near Tormarton; A single bird was watched in the Rangeworthy/ Iron Acton area on May 21st; An adult was seen early morning over the junction of A46/ A420 on June 5th at Cold Ashton.

2006: (6)

A juvenile/ immature was noted flying north over Frampton Cotterell in the afternoon on February 19th; An adult was reported from the Marshfield area around ST: 793 745 at about 15:10 on April 22nd and again on April 25th near Cold Ashton at the junction of the A46/A420 at around 14:00; The second Severnside record flew over Northwick Warth at 10:45 on June 5th, it was watched slowly drifting off east over the rifle range; On June 13th one was noted over the A38 near Thornbury; One was seen on June 14th near Marshfield in the early afternoon at ST: 776 777 right on the S. Gloucestershire/ Wiltshire boarder and again near Tormarton on June 15th; One was reported over the Boyd Valley at Wick on September 10th.

2007: (15)

On January 1st one was reported in flight just north of Thornbury at midday; A winter adult was reported over fields opposite Tanner's Walk at Marshfield at 14:30 on January 4th; An adult was seen in flight at ST: 639 828 near the Grange Hotel at Winterbourne on January 23rd, it was last seen heading NNW towards Almondsbury at 14:25; On January 24th an adult was noted at 10:00 in flight north over Old Passage/ Aust Warth; One was seen on April 6th at Marshfield at ST: 782 741 over the Tormarton Road at 09:00 and the same or another was seen over Wick on the same day; On April 14th an adult drifted over Aust Warth heading inland at around 10:30; On April 14th one was reported at 10:30 over fields just inland of Oldbury Power Station car park, then drifted north. This report represents the first record at the site; On April 27th one was reported from New Passage; On April 28th one was reported in the morning circling on the south side of the M4 a half a mile before junction 18; On April 28th one was seen at Oldbury Power Station at 15:00 drifting over Lagoon II heading upriver; One was noted by security staff at Oldbury Power Station between May 21st and 25th; On June 1st one was circling above fields between M5 J14 and Leyhill Prison at 14:00; One was seen on June 15th on the south side of Marshfield at around 07:50, it was noted drifting low from the south-west being mobbed by hirundine before turning back south-west then south and was lost to view towards Ringswell; One was seen in flight over the M5 near Tytherington on June 16th; One was seen over the Hanham/ St. George boarder on August 23rd at around 17:15;

2008: (c. 8)

One was seen in flight heading south at around 12:45 just south of Severn Beach over the Terra Nitrogen works on April 17th; One was reported in the Tormarton area on April 23rd; One was seen at Marshfield at 14:20 on April 29th in flight over the junction of High Street and the A420 near Green Lane. Heading south-west it was then seen over Cold Ashton drifting towards Swainswick Valley; One was seen at Oldbury Power Station on May 4th flying in off the estuary at the yacht club at about 16:00 it then drifted east over pylons being mobbed by corvids; One was reported from Warmley in the afternoon on May 16th cruising over Cock Road Open Space running parallel with the Ring Road; One was seen on May 20th in flight over Tormarton Road near Marshfield drifting south-east towards Rock East Woodlands at 13:00; A moulting adult was seen circling over Kingswood in Bristol on June 10th at 08:20 at ST: 655 735, it was last seen at 08:22 drifting south towards Longwell Green; An adult was seen in the Broadmead Brook area at West Littleton Road, Marshfield on May 11th; One was seen at Hambrook on June 13th near the roundabout at 10:30 heading towards Abbey Wood from the Pucklechurch direction; One was seen at Oldbury Power Station at 15:30 on June 17th drifting over Lagoon III from the south, then flew north-east along the shore to Lagoon II before being lost to view; One was seen along the ring road between Keynsham and Longwell Green at 11:00 on June 17th; One was seen at Frampton Cotterell in flight north-east over the Rising Sun pub at 11:30. (ST: 671 816); One was seen drifting in a southerly direction at Doynton on June 30th.