Red Kites in Fingal

martinn123

Corsendonk wrote: »

Any of the Irish Red Kite nests examined contained the remains of a rather high number of rats. So it will depend on how many rats are around your estate. A point of caution to anyone that lays bait for rodents around their houses during winter to make sure they dispose of any dead rodents in the bin.

This illustrates part of the problem here, I like many others live in a rural area of NCD, surrounded by fields.
At this time of the year I have to lay bait for rats, as when the ditches fill with water, they will try to get warm by coming into the house.Obviously if I find a carcas I will dispose of it, but in reality I have no control over where they die, probably in the ditch or field.
Terrible pity about the Red Kites but any other solution to the reality of rats

minikin

link here suggests other ways of controlling rodents.

LeoB

martinn123 wrote: »

At this time of the year I have to lay bait for rats, as when the ditches fill with water, they will try to get warm by coming into the house.Obviously if I find a carcas I will dispose of it, but in reality I have no control over where they die, probably in the ditch or field.
Terrible pity about the Red Kites but any other solution to the reality of rats

You have a common problem especially with the wet weather. Can the rats be baited into a piece of wavin pipe or tubing that birds cant get into? I have seen this done and also poisened bait under wire that birds or pets cant get at.

martinn123

LeoB wrote: »

You have a common problem especially with the wet weather. Can the rats be baited into a piece of wavin pipe or tubing that birds cant get into? I have seen this done and also poisened bait under wire that birds or pets cant get at.

Yes its common to put the bait into small sections on pipe, wavin etc, so the bait stays dry, and the dog does not get at it. The problem is having eaten the bait, the rat goes somewhere to die, and unfortunately the Red Kites may find the carcass, and is poisoned, shame.

Cardinal Richelieu

The Sunday Times reported a couple of weeks ago that The Common Crane has started for some strange reason to return to Ireland after 200 years without them,1 or 2 of the birds have been spotted in our own Rogerstown Estuary this year and I believe some locals seen them about Fingal last winter. The below thread from the wildlife forum has some links about are Nordic visitors.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056462836

Cardinal Richelieu

Some grim news from the Nature forum posted yesterday.

Birdnuts wrote: »

Tonight I learnt that 5 more Kites have been found dead in Fingal - this brings to 8 dead birds recovered in North Co. Dublin in the space of only 2 months since early November. Autopsies done on four of the birds strongly suggest secondary poisoning from the consumption of dead or dieing rats which fed on a certain brand of persistant rodenticide. It also looks likely that the other birds succumbed in similiar way. This is a devastating blow for the latest phase of the project as it means a shocking 20% of the birds released in Fingal just last summer have now been found dead. Worse, this figure is likely to be an underestimate given that some bodies are very likely to remain unfound.

It also raises serious issues for other species like Owls,Kestrels and other species that feed on rodents in this part of the country. It certainly indicates that the problem is even worse then many feared and is probably a major factor in the decline of a number of yellow and red-listed species.


PS:More details will become public over the coming days but I just thought I'd brace people for some grim tidings:(

Birdnuts

LeoB wrote: »

They should survive here ok. If there is enough food for them. If not and they travel inland to where some farmers might have sheep there will a different view taken.

There has been trouble in Wicklow, Kerry and Donegal where it was alleged they attacked young lambs.

.

Unfortunatly such myths/untruths were responsible for wiping out most of our raptors in the past, the fact is that kites have only been released in the East of the country and are no threat to any livestock- most raptors will scavange any dead livestock carcasses they find, but they certainly are not considered a threat to sheep farmers. The eagles released in Kerry came from birds reared in the heart of Norway's sheep country where hundreds of pairs breed and live in harmony with local sheep flocks. Indeed a recent programme on the project interviewed a farmer in Norway that was happy to have a pair breeding on some rocks right in the centre of his main flock.

In Donegal the Golden Eagles has actually proved to be a postive developemt for local sheep farmers as they prey on Grey crows and other vermin.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/ulster-eagles-cause-crow-attacks-on-lambs-to-decline-14969331.html


As for Red Kites - these birds though appearing large are actually all wings and tail, hence the averge adult weights barely a pound. Primarily scavangers they certainly are no threat to sheep farmers eithier!!

The Hill Billy

Just saw a red kite near Barnageeragh. A magnificent bird! Too dusky for a decent photo unfortunately.

martinn123

From F/B today, Red Kites at Rogerstown

http://www.facebook.com/RogerstownEstuaryTurveyPark

( I hope this works) if not delete??

cbreeze

martinn123 wrote: »

From F/B today, Red Kites at Rogerstown

http://www.facebook.com/RogerstownEstuaryTurveyPark

( I hope this works) if not delete??

This time last spring say a pair of red kites hovering over the old mine on the road from skerries to loughshinny. May be they were nesting there. But I never saw them again.