1. An unringed adult kite came in on from Parc Farm near Lampeter. It was reported by the local farmer and handed over to Liz and Brian Snell our local watchers. The bird had a nasty swelling on the end of its wing and the primaries had been broken off. Th bird was flightless and would clearly remain so for some time. It was taken to Megan Morris Jones at Cuan House Wildlife Rescue Centre were it received treatment for the injury. Once the injury had healed it was transferred to the rehabilitation aviaries to allow its flight feathers to moult out.
Although things looked promising initially, it kept losing its primaries as they got to a reasonable length. After 12 months it had still been unable to grow its feathers and was still flightless. We then transferred it to a much smaller aviary run by one of Megan's helpers. The bird was left in complete seclusion being fed through a small hatch. After another 3 months it was caught up and examined and found to still have the same problem. Megan's vet suggested it might actually be "self-mutilating" pecking at its feathers because the re was discomfort resulting from follicle damage. As it was clearly never going to be able to be released it was reluctantly agreed that it should be euthanased.
2. GN65301 - Black/Red "Bull's Eye" Reported previously in this section. Originally ringed as a single chick in a nest near Tregaron on 27th June 2003. It was positively identified four times local to where it was ringed up to 29th Feb 2004. It was then found badly injured in Devil's Bridge on 6th March 2004 and taken to Maria Evans at Tinkers Hill Bird of Prey and Swan Rescue Centre, Pembrokeshire. It had flown into a barbed wire fence and had severe lacerations on the underside of both wings.
After spending several weeks at Maria's it was transferred to the rehabilitation aviaries at Gigrin Farm and was finally released there on 27th August 2004. It was recorded several times at Gigrin subsequently during that winter. In June 2005 it was reported grounded for several days at Claerwen Farm in the Elan Valley. On collection it was found that the bird was in good health but had a large gap in the feathers on one wing rendering it flightless. It was taken into the Gigrin Farm rehabilitation aviaries and allowed to grow new feathers. It was released from the aviaries for the second time on 2nd September 2005, still with a smaller gap in its feathers, and was seen alive and well on 1st November 2005.
3. GH06592 Black/Yellow . Ringed as a chick in a brood of two in North Pembrokeshire. This was only the second successful nest known in Pembrokeshire. It was seen at Bwlch Nant-yr-Arian on 10th December 2004 but didn't stay around long. On 11th September 2005 it was found injured in the A458, some 116 kms NE of where it was reared, having probably been hit by a vehicle. It was treated at Cuan House Wildlife Rescue Centre, Much Wenlock and is currently in the rehabilitation aviaries at Gigrin Farm. One of its legs is still not functioning properly and unfortunately, unless there is some improvement soon, it may have to be put down.
4. GC11603 - Black/Orange 99. On 20th June 2005 Liz Snell and myself were approaching a nest ready to ring the chick. Although a chick had been clearly visible several days earlier we were unable to see anything on the nest, despite a fairly good view. The adults were present and circling the tree showing mild concern so we looked about on the floor. After quite a while we found the chick, about three quarters grown, crouched in the base of the hedge below the tree. It initially looked fine but on closer examination was found to have a damage eye.
The injury had almost certainly been caused by a branch on its way down. We contemplated just putting it back in the nest and letting it take its chances but decided against it. The chick was taken over to Megan Morris Jones later that day and received veterinary care at the Pound Veterinary Centre in Much Wenlock. It was uncertain if the damage would result in permanent loss of sight in the one eye so treatment was started. The chick was reared in a seclusion pen whilst being careful not to imprint it (although it perhaps too big for this already). After several weeks at Megan's the infection in the eye had cleared up. It was obvious now however that the bird had no sight in it.
There followed much soul-searching on whether a one-eyed kite could survive in the wild. It was decided to continue rearing it and see how it coped. We transferred it to the rehabilitation aviaries at Gigrin where it could exercise and learn to flight in more spacious surroundings. A photographer had told me of a wild buzzard near Tregaron which survived for several winters with only one eye. Our observations showed that it was flying around the aviaries very competently and landing on the perches with ease. As the guidance agreed by the UK Kite Co-ordination Group advises against permanent retention of birds not fit enough to release the only alternative was euthanasia.
On balance we decide that the bird stood a quite reasonable chance of surviving especially if it stayed around on of the feeding sites. It was released at Gigrin on 28th July and was seen alive and well a few days later but not subsequently.
5. GC11604 - Black/Orange. In early July Peter Faulkener, one of the operators of the Black Mountain Kite Feeding Station telephoned to say that a neighbouring landowner had reported a young kite on the ground in a field they had cut for silage and that it had been there all I day. Peter offered to arrange for them to collect it and put it in a box so that I could pick it up that night. On examination it was found to be extremely thin with a small wound in one wing. The bird was covered in fly eggs and the wound and under surface of the wing was covered in small maggots. We immediately doused the wing in diluted peroxide and I rushed it off to Megan Morris Jones at Cuan House Wildlife Rescue Centre. It received expert care and treatment and after a short spell of convalescence back in the Gigrin Aviaries. Despite its unpromising initial condition it made a full recovery and was eventually released on 2nd September at Gigrin and was probably recorded present there on 31st October 2005.
