Discovering Nests and Grey Heron

Yesterday genuinely was a remarkable day. It had started with a disappointment, as I had gone out with the aim of trying again to film the Red Kites feeding. But the Red Kite never turned up. I had made sure that I had enough battery power and tapes, but not seeing the Kite made me feel uneasy.

What were the reasons why the Kite had not shown up. The most alarming was that that the bird had died. While that may seem alarming, Raptors (the family that Kites live within) are regularly persecuted. Thus I do remain vigilant and watch for changes in the patterns in the habits of the Kites. However thinking of all the reasons why the Kites had changed their feeding patterns, the other major reasons why the Kites had made such a change was nesting, but not just nesting but egg laying. Looking back at my notes from last year, when the pair that tried to nest on the western edge of the Woods made that change, I had suspected that the pair had started laying eggs.

While that nest was (Illegally) destroyed by the contractors harvesting the timber in my local woods, the pattern appeared to match. Therefore, I went into serious Naturalist mode. I needed to discover if they had built a nest. Even if I could not exactly locate the nest, I could look to see if the Male was visiting and returning to an area. That would strongly indicate that the male was feeding a female on the nest.

While luck played its role, an important part was the my previous observations. I was in the general area and within ten minutes I saw a Kite drop to where it could be nesting. What, made me reasonably sure of this was the bird, I presumed to be a male, was feeding the female was that the male appeared to be carrying something in its talons. When it re-emerged it was free of the suspected load.

As I walked to a point where I could try and see the possible nest site, I ran through my reasoning. Red Kites normally feed on the wing, therefore they rarely drop down to feed. Also even if the load was not food, it was likely to be nesting material.

I was expecting it to take a while to locate the likely location of the nest, but as I looked at what could have been a rooks or crows nest, the tail of a Kite appeared and the bird defecated over the side. I had to put my hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing out loud. I was reasonably sure I had found the nest. Had it been a few days latter, the bursting leaf cover may well have prevented me spotting it.

While I did film the nest, as well as recording details so I could relocate it, I was just filming a nest from below. I did look around to see if I could safely film the bird in the nest, but all the options would have disturbed the bird. As the Red Kites are fully protected that was not an option even if I wanted to take it.

There was other nests that I knew of, and while I could possibly film them, I was awaiting a licence to film and photograph them. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1980 prevents any disturbance of protected species at or near the a nest or breading ground. Even photographing them needs permission and the licence proves that the filming has been done responsibly. I explain this as when I got home the licence I had previously applied for had arrived. While last year I had applied it had not arrived until after all chicks had fledged. This time it had only taken four weeks.

So while I wanted to go to a particular location in the afternoon, I decided to make a detour to try and pinpoint the locations of the other Red Kite nests I was aware of. While I was watching one, and again I saw a bird drop into the location, I realised that was too far from any reasonable high ground to film from a level or above. Therefore, that was number C on my list. However, as I was watching a fellow birder came past. I am always happy to share knowledge as long as I am sure the person has the best intentions of the wildlife at heart. Therefore we both viewed the Kite as he, and that is an educated assumption, rose and ran the gauntlet of mobbing crows.

We talked about other Red Kite nests, and it became clear that he knew of the locations of the other two I knew. However, he had discovered better viewing locations than had I. I am more than willing to learn from others, it is how we all learn to share the delight of the creatures we love. Therefore I headed off with him up the hill to the viewing point he knew. To call it a hill however does not do the steep wooded bank justice, it was accessible and steps and paths were laid out, but this was a forty five degree slope. It is a good job that I must have mountain goat genes in my ancestry. As we went up the slope we came upon a Deer, she was just twenty feet in front of us and had a curious growth on her neck. She stood there for twenty or thirty seconds, then a dog started chasing it. The dog was a Yorkshire terrier and it looked odd seeing a tiny dog chasing a full grown doe.

As my cameras were in my back pack, I could not film her, but also I needed to climb this hill unencumbered. When we got there, there was already another birder watching the nest through a scope. I could see the nest and via the scope I was able to see the bird blinking. I set up my camera and filmed the nest and while I had to use the digital zoom that reduces the quality of the image, I was thrilled to get the film.

The main advantage though is the quality of good information that came out of the conversation. I have a whole new list of locations that I may visit. Its good to share and I was able to offer some aid to them too.

I stayed longer than I really expected, but as my plans had been flexible, I enjoyed the walk to the location I had wanted to get to. I had a particular animal in mind that I wanted to see, but I needed to start working out the behaviour patterns, so I was not expecting to see the creature. As the location is a public hide, as I arrived there were four chaps who had arrived by car just before me, their car had passed me as I walked down the track. However, when I first entered the hide I was alone.

Before entering the hide we had shared some information, and I had left them debating what they wanted to do. I was greeted with the sight of a Little Grebe, with chicks and a Grey Heron. I was unpacking my camera when the four of them came in like a bull in a china shop. This disturbance caused the wildlife to disappear.

Now I have spoken before of the frustration of inconsiderate wildlife watchers, but it really does perplex me why people folks go out trying to watch birds and then create such a disturbance that they scare off the very creatures they want to see. While that may mean they are very good at identifying the tail feathers of birds, the real delight comes from observing natural behaviour.

The contrast between the help and sharing of the people I had been with previously, and this selfish group was quite stark. Even when they settled down and the birds started to return, there was one of the four who wanted to provide a running commentary. I am well aware of the psychology of this, he is trying to show off his knowledge, but it just adds to the disturbance of the wildlife.

There have been times in the past when I have left people like this to it, but I decided to stay. At one point one of them even jumped into the seat I had been sitting in moments ago when I tried to get something from my bag. This genuinely shocked me, so I moved over to the other side of the hide.

I was sitting quietly watching for a sedge warbler that was singing, when another chap came in. He was one of the men I had been watching the Kites nest with. Talking in hushed voices we exchanged information but I added that the birds had been disturbed by these other chaps. They obviously heard this and decided to leave, saying well we will leave you in peace then. To this the other man took them to task. When the four left each slammed the door of the hide, as these were all men of retirement age, I was genuinely perplexed by such childish behaviour. Well it takes all sorts to make a world.

I personally am more tolerant of children who are excited by seeing wildlife and inadvertently disturb the fauna than adults who are just selfish. If they had more patience and been prepared to remain taciturn they would have been able to watch so much more. Is there not something about old dogs and new tricks.

Within ten minutes of them leaving, the wildlife started to re-emerge. I got some good film of the Little Grebe but not the chicks. Then from the reeds appeared a Grey Heron. I was able to film the bird engaging in some wonderful behaviour and quite clear too.

The day was drawing to a close and I needed to get home, so I walked back up the track to the bus stop. The countryside around here does not so much as undulate but has been carved to make humans fit. That's fit for nothing.

Well the film from the Kites Nest I posted yesterday, I was so excited I just had to, the film of the Heron is here now. I genuinely hope to have something else special soon too. (That is a ruthless attempt to keep people reading and watching)