Updates in 2008:

From Phil Parker

Wow, what an amazing bird, today I got my first look at a Red Kite.
I was driving past the Red Lion just before Water End, it was circling over the tall trees. What a treat!!
Also saw what looked like a young Barn Owl perched on phone/electricity wires just after the one way bridge further up the A4146 (nearly crashed the car....oops).
Regular sitings include a Buzzard in Dagnall, and hovering Kestrels over the fields at various points on my way home from Hemel to Linslade.



From: Kitty:

I disturbed a Red Kite last year which was sitting on my garden wall, eyeing up my free-range pet rabbit as a potential dinner (he is quite chubby).
I opened the back door and heard a scraping of talons on stone as it took off. It was definately a Kite and we (Hubby saw it too) were amazed to see it.
We also had an unusual visitor (see photo in gallery, right) in our garden the Summer before ('06) in the shape of a Barn Owl which terrified the cats (sensible - they refused to go out. Then I saw why!). It flew onto a nearby roof where it was hassled for over half an hour by a very noisy and courageous Blackbird. (see attached pic) The most amazing thing about both bird sightings is that I live in the (very built up)Apsley/Bennetts End area of Hemel.



From: Don
Views: I live in bovingdon and the other day I saw 7 red kites four were circling at about 500 feet and the others were really low, I have seen them here before but never in that amount. they were amazing to watch.



From: Karen Dancer
warners end, Hemel hempsted

Views: After visiting Waddesdon Manor in Bucks recentley,and getting a glimpse of the Red Kite birds flying close by,you can imagine my excitement when i looked out of my loft window the other afternoon and spotted one flying overhead.I was so chuffed to think they are becoming more common over Hemel Hempstead.Infact,two days later my husband who is a GreenKeeper in Hemel spotted one overhead,unfortunatley it was being bothered by a crow,its a shame that we are not all happy to see them around!!!




From: julie
hemel hempstead

Views: red kite sighting sun 13/4/08, top of queensway at aprox 13.30 swooped down in front of my car to grass verge then back up over trees on jupiter drive school field. Has taken a couple of days to work out what bird it was! An awesome sight.We feel very lucky.



From Jane:
Hemel
I live in Grovehill near to the woods and fields and I see the red kites regularly. I have actually seen one in my garden three times (last year), once eating a sparrow and twice eating pigeons. They don't seem to worry about you standing there watching them. They are pretty big and a fantastic sight to see in your back garden.


Hi we saw a red kite circling over our back garden in New Park Drive on 31st March. It was eventually chased off by some seagulls.
The Hall family.




I saw a red kite over Great Gaddesden yesterday, near Wyevale Garden
Centre, and took my wife back to see it again today. It was soaring near a buzzard that also seems to live in the area. I took this photo with my 400 mm zoom lens but it's not very distinct.
Alan Dickson
Grove Hill.


From: John Syddall
Views: I saw a red kite over the Cemmaes Meadow/Collett Road area on Monday 11 February.



From: Evelyn Morrison
Warners End, Hemel Hempstead
Views: saturday(9th) morning my neighbour and i saw an eagle flying above our houses.it was being harrased by a crow, it was circling around for quite a while then as it was circling it soared higher and higher fantastic sight i wish i had thought to get my camera. it had a white head red belly enormous wings with white tips with a really distinct pattern on them. it was beautiful.i think it was a red kite. did anyone else see it?




How the sightings began last year:


Sue Keen emailed Hemeltoday on Monday to say: My husband and I saw a red kite flying over our house on Woodhall Farm this morning. 

"These birds were released into the Chilterns in the early 1990s and have bred very successfully in and around the Thames Valley area, with some 100 pairs being accounted for.

"They have been seen over Tring reservoirs but this is the first time we have spotted one over Hemel Hempstead. They are very distinctive, with a fox red body and grey head and a 5-6 feet wingspan with white markings on the under side. They can sometimes be mistaken for a buzzard but they have a forked tail rather than the buzzard's rounded tail."


If you've seen the bird please tell us, have you got a picture. Just email us by clicking below:

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To see our galleries of bird photos sent by readers click below

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YOUR SIGHTINGS

April 17: Yes, I saw a pair of red kites soaring the skies across the valley from Chaulden while visiting my sister on Sunday at about 2.30pm. They flew towards Bovingdon, circling on the thermals. Sadly, too far away for a good photo.




I saw a red kite beside the by-pass between Berkhamsted and Bourne End about a month ago. It was flying down to the ground and its wings were enormous and then I saw a pair circling near Bourne End a few days later. Fantastic sight!




My wife & I saw 5 red kites at around 12.30 on Monday 9th for about 5 minutes. They were on the outskirts of Woodhall Farm high in the sky. I. Adams

I live in Leverstock Green and this week, especially today a flock of four red kites have been killing pigeons and blackbirds near my back garden. Scattered across the grass are headless birds left by the kites. I never knew birds hunted together in large numbers and could move so swiftly. I will try to get a picture if they are still around. Yours faithfully Mark Fletcher


The recent siting of the red kites they have actually been local for over a year now. myself & my cousin were watching them this time last year we think thay nest in the woody area near st albans as my cousin lives in pimlico and her garden backs on to the fields (st albans way) we even saw an adult kite with its young flying quite low fantastic to watch also there have been siting in the gaddesden row area. Name and address supplied



Saw a red kite, possibly two, flying high over Adeyfield area last
weekend. - Richard White



YOUR SIGHTINGS
Hi, We saw a pair of Red Kites over Bennetts End on Sunday 18th March. My son got a few photos including one of the kite and one of a group of crows that were mobbing it. Unfortunately, it's not a brilliant photo. It was a truly wonderful sight to see them - Chris Wales (Photo in gallery)

AROUND ABOUT 11.30 A.M. MY SON SAID LOOK AT THAT AND WE ALL KNEW IT WAS A RED KITE, THEN THE MOST AMAZING THING, IT RELEAST IT'S POO, AND YOU COULD SEE IT FALLING FROM THE SKY, I WAS A SHAME WE DID NOT HAVE A CAMERA HANDY. WE HAVE SEEN MANY KITES IN OXFORDSHIRE, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST IN OUR ARIA. WE LIVE IN BENNETTS END.....BILLY..J..


Hi, we have seen several over the edge of Hemel. One along the Leighton Buzzard road at Water End, and one over the fields between Gadebridge and Potten End. We have also seen two or three at Ashridge.


Click Here to go to the RSPB website about the red kite