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The
Hawk Conservancy Trust
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Sarson Lane, Weyhill, Andover, Hampshire. SP11 8DY,
UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1264 773850. Fax: +44 (0) 1264 773772. Email info@hawkconservancy.org |
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In 2002 The Hawk Conservancy Trust became the first collection in England to captive breed and release Red Kites back to the wild. |
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Four chicks were successfully hatched, and for the first few days of their lives, the chicks were cared for by dedicated members of Trust staff. |
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The chicks were then placed in a nest with foster parents, who raised them as their own. |
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When the chicks had started to grow their first feathers, but were still unable to fly, they were removed from their foster parents to begin their journey to the wild. |
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All the chicks were fitted with BTO rings and radio transmitters prior to their release. |
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Each chick was given a name (named after local farms) - Manor, Fox, Haydown and Piper - and identification photos were taken. The chicks were then placed into artificial nest sites in our wild flower meadow,and were fed daily by Trust staff. |
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A monitoring station was set up in our member’s hide, staffed by students from Newcastle University and volunteers from our membership, allowing the chicks' daily behaviour to be monitored. |
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Once the chicks began their first flights from the nest, our two research students (Kate and Mel) tracked them across the local countryside, from dawn to dusk. |
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The chicks soon became a regular sight around the local area, the first Red Kites to be seen in this valley for over 150 years. |
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During 2003/2004 several wild Red Kites were brought into the Trust’s Bird of Prey hospital, and where possible they were rehabilitated back to the wild. |
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The Trust continued with this programme in 2005, releasing further birds into the area. These birds were tracked by research student Amy throughout the winter. |
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The Kites are now a regular sight both in the local area and at our afternoon raptor feed. Some have been seen flying with wild Red Kites and it is hoped that they may breed in the near future. |
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Details of the birds' current progress are displayed, with photos and map references, in the hide at our premises. Updated information of importance is also featured in our free online magazine, The Accipiter |
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Charity No: 1092349 - Company No: 4304161
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Copyright © 1996-2008 Keith Channing
and The Hawk Conservancy Trust, Andover, Hants SP11 8DY, UK. All rights
reserved.
Tel: +44 (0) 1264 773850. Fax: +44 (0) 1264 773772.
Email info@hawkconservancy.org.
Click here for open dates and times, ticket
prices and directions and a map showing our location .
All data, images etc. owned by the author or by The Hawk Conservancy Trust will be freely available for any non-commercial use, subject only to their being unchanged and to credit being given to the photographer and to The Hawk Conservancy Trust. A few photographs are gleaned from other resources and in some cases we have not been able to identify the copyright owner. In these cases, if notified, we shall be more than happy either to give credit for the work, or remove the offending images and acknowledge our error.
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