First Irish Red Kites for over 200 years found in Wicklow

Birdnuts · 21-05-2010 10:16pm #1

After months of nothing but depressing stories concerning various raptor re-introduction projects in this country its great to report some good news for a change. Tonights footage on the 9pm RTE news confirms the presence of 3 healthy chicks at a secret location in Co. Wicklow. This is truely historical stuff since these birds have not been resident and breeding in this country since at least the 1790's. I just hope that this is the start of a firm re-establishment of the species in this country and that the activities of a few ignorant gombeens does not deny the vast majority of Irish public who support these projects from enjoying once again some of the most magnificent elements of our Natural Heritage.

PS: One thing that annoyed me about the report on RTE was John Gormleys hogging of the limelight - he has some cheek given the ongoing failure of him and his party in government to address the major threat that indiscriminate poisoning represents to our endangered birds of prey and other wildlife .:(

Birdnuts · 21-05-2010 10:18pm

Of course I managed to screw up the title of this thread - it should have read "first Irish Red Kite chicks", please mods, spare my blushes

pat58 · 21-05-2010 10:24pm

great to hear ,hopefully they get a chance to multiply,

Judgement Day · 21-05-2010 10:29pm

Couldn't agree more Birdnuts - it was truly sickening to hear Gormley on the report. The Greens have become so like FF so quickly it's unreal.

From George Orwell's 'Animal Farm' : Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

Birdnuts · 21-05-2010 10:47pm

Judgement Day wrote: »

Couldn't agree more Birdnuts - it was truly sickening to hear Gormley on the report. The Greens have become so like FF so quickly it's unreal.

.[/I]

The raptor project teams should tell him he's not welcome as long as Irish law remains an ass on the control of poison baits.:mad:

marlin vs · 21-05-2010 11:03pm

I saw the report on tele, and feel the same,Gormley is just a xxxxxx.The clown, I wouldn't leave him near a chick, but have to say it's great to see thes chick's and I hope they survive and get on well.

Kess73 · 22-05-2010 12:00am

Well Gormley just proved my point for me from the last thread we had hear about the killing of the birds of prey.

There was a reply to me on that thread after I had made comments about how the Greens and Gormley in particular should be made to act and made to clarify their stance. The reply was something along the lines that Gormley should not be high on the list of those contacted and others should takle responsibilty.

I replied that Gormley is always quick to stick his face in front of a camera when there is good news or anything that he can try to make it look like he had something to do with it, but that he vanishes when there is a problem that falls under his jurisdiction.

With the Red Kite report, he showed yet again how quick he is to try and get his face and name attatched to anything good, and to try and get the Greens associated to this things.

Let's see how quick he is to get in front of a camera the next time a bird of prey is found poisoned.

Let's see how quick he is to act and follow through the next time a bird of prey is found poisoned.

I imagine that when it happens again, sad to say that I think that, he will be nowhere to be seen or heard.

As usual.

Sorry for the rant, but the man gets my back up with his fake interest in nature in Ireland.

cuddlycavies · 22-05-2010 12:01pm

Great news re the kites. Looked like Ashford area. Live in Greystones but havn't actually seen one yet. Saw one in England last year.
Gormley a pratt. Saw him on Prome time tyre doco during the week. Disgraceful, uninformed. Has made an pre existing small problem into a big envoironmental problem with his cart before the horse approach. C****s stockpiling tyres for profit, dumping them in quarries, forests, fields. Even Galway cc stockpiling them. All without his knowledge. A useless party for Ireland.

Feargal as Luimneach · 22-05-2010 1:42pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

The raptor project teams should tell him he's not welcome as long as Irish law remains an ass on the control of poison baits.:mad:

X2

stupidusername · 22-05-2010 6:30pm

Agree with the whole John Gormely thing. It's like they all want to step in and say ooh look how great we are. I don't get why they were all handling the chicks though, is that not bad for them? I mean with the parents trying to feed them etc... they tend not to like the foreign smell on their chicks...?

Valmont · 22-05-2010 7:08pm

I don't want to spoil good news but I hope we don't end up seeing these same chicks poisoned in a few months.

marlin vs · 22-05-2010 9:35pm

stupidusername wrote: »

Agree with the whole John Gormely thing. It's like they all want to step in and say ooh look how great we are. I don't get why they were all handling the chicks though, is that not bad for them? I mean with the parents trying to feed them etc... they tend not to like the foreign smell on their chicks...?

Yes! they are being protected by game wardens (not), yet a clown is allowed to handel them,,irresponsible is what i'd call it, after 200 years they show people with god knows how many in the camera crew acting the idiot for a bit of publicity.

time to wake up I think.

Birdnuts · 23-05-2010 9:42am

marlin vs wrote: »

Yes! they are being protected by game wardens (not), yet a clown is allowed to handel them,,irresponsible is what i'd call it, after 200 years they show people with god knows how many in the camera crew acting the idiot for a bit of publicity. time to wake up I think.

Indeed - The birds shouldn't have been disturbed and the news shouldn't have been released to the media until after they had fledged, the obvious dangers to the chicks and parents on the nest are too serious at this time:(

Superdaddy · 31-05-2010 12:46pm

marlin vs wrote: »

Yes! they are being protected by game wardens (not), yet a clown is allowed to handel them,,irresponsible is what i'd call it, after 200 years they show people with god knows how many in the camera crew acting the idiot for a bit of publicity. time to wake up I think.

Birdnuts wrote: »

Indeed - The birds shouldn't have been disturbed and the news shouldn't have been released to the media until after they had fledged, the obvious dangers to the chicks and parents on the nest are too serious at this time:(

I agree totally about Gormley stepping up for the lime light, but his deparment are funding the project so it would be hard to tell him feck off. As for your opinions on the handling of the chicks. The person running the project is Damain Clarke and he is more than qualified to know what is best for the chicks and he would not allow any harm to come to them. You can call it irresponsible if you like but you are totally wrong and obviously don't know what you are talking about. Kites are very tolerant of disturbance and even the smell of Gormleys girly hands wouldn't put them off. I'm sure that the Golden Eagle Trust used the oppertunity to have a word in the Ministers ear about the poisoning and the payback needed for his positive PR. It's sometimes better to play ball than stand on the sideline shouting abuse.:rolleyes:

d32 · 31-05-2010 8:04pm

beautiful to see adult kites up round rathdrum valley-edge of glenealy and up round glenmalure golf area-seen em a few times-noticed sheep called the very very young lambs but kite wasn't interested in the lambs...

Valmont · 31-05-2010 9:32pm

Superdaddy wrote: »

Kites are very tolerant of disturbance and even the smell of Gormleys girly hands wouldn't put them off.

This had me in stitches.

I've had my eyes glued to the sky for weeks now trying to spot a kite. I work near Lord Meath's land so I'm hopeful that I'll see one in the near future. I did see a barn owl for all my trouble so that was cool.

BryanL · 02-06-2010 9:29pm

Superdaddy wrote: »

The person running the project is Damain Clarke and he is more than qualified to know what is best for the chicks and he would not allow any harm to come to them. You can call it irresponsible if you like but you are totally wrong and obviously don't know what you are talking about. Kites are very tolerant of disturbance and even the smell of Gormleys girly hands wouldn't put them off.

So can we all go on a trip to handle them?

Superdaddy · 04-06-2010 10:35am

BryanL wrote: »

So can we all go on a trip to handle them?

You need a licence.:rolleyes: Why don't you contact Damian and ask him if you can go on the next nest visit when he is ringing chicks.

wildlifeboy · 04-06-2010 11:17am

its a necessary evil, The birds need to be identifiable and tagged for future reference. I totally agree about the report. it should have been released after they fledge. and folks should not be giving out the location of nests on this forum.

First Irish Red Kites for over 200 years found in Wicklow

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