Excitement as red kite is spotted in Herefordshire (From Hereford Times)

Excitement as red kite is spotted at Weir Gardens, Bishopstone

4:00pm Friday 6th March 2009 in News

ONE of the rarest birds of prey in Britain has been spotted on a Herefordshire estate.

Staff at Weir Gardens, near Bishopstone, spotted a red kite above their land last month.

The stunning bird, known for its forked tail and two-metre wingspan, was on the verge of extinction in the last century.

Numbers have steadily risen in Mid- Wales, but sightings are rare east of the Black Mountains.

Stephen Morton, gardener, said buzzard and raven sightings were common at Weir Gardens, but he was thrilled to see a kite.

“We were quite excited about seeing one – we recognised it because of the tail and because it was flying so low,”

he said.

“Whether or not it was a juvenile looking for new sites I don’t know, but it was a thrill to see one.”

Red kite sightings have also been reported in south Shropshire, while a pair nested in Herefordshire in 2004.

Chris Powell, of the Red Kite Centre in Rhayader, said kite numbers were increasing and moving away from Mid-Wales.

“They’ve started looking for nesting sites and, as numbers have increased, they’re spreading out a bit more,” said Mr Powell.

“They’re spreading south and into the Midlands, so you should expect to see more of them.”