The Powell’s serendipitous discovery had sparked an idea within the RSPB, which asked the Powell’s if they would be willing to have the first official red kite feeding centre at Gigrin Farm. “We thought we were in trouble, because these are protected species of course.”įar from it. “Next thing we know there was a call from the RSPB, and they wanted an urgent meeting,” says Powell. Thrilled with their visitors, the Powells continued to feed the kites with rabbits when they were available – and later with meat from the local butcher.
“We hadn’t seen them in this area ever, so we were really quite excited with that.”Īt the time, these charismatic raptors with their distinctive forked tails and rusty hue, while still found in many parts of Western Europe, were a rare sight in the UK.
“We came out from lunch one day and two kites were dipping down on the rabbit,” recalls Powell. Rather than waste the carcasses, the Powells deposited them in a field away from their herd of sheep to distract the crows and ravens from harming newborn lambs. At the time, the Powell’s enthusiastic spaniel was dispatching rabbits with ruthless aplomb.
RED KITE HAWK PATCH
The Powell’s 200-acre farm sits in a peaceful patch of Welsh countryside next to the market town of Rhayader in mid Wales. In 1992, Chris Powell and his father Either unwittingly became involved in arguably the UK’s greatest conversation success story – the spectacular recovery of the red kite ( Milvus milvus). In the surrounding trees, red kites that have already arrived watch the field below with keen eyes in anticipation of what's coming. THE SKY rings with the distinctive mewling whistle of the red kite as hundreds of birds, spiralling with easy grace on currents of warm air, glide towards Gigrin Farm.
0 kommentar(er)
