Kites, Camera, Action!

FRUSTRATION turned to joy this week as live images of a red kite nest with three chicks were finally beamed to a local garden centre.
Red Kite Nest Watch, organised for the last five years by the Chilterns Conservation Board, uses CCTV technology to bring the public ?up close and personal? with a pair of red kites as they rear their chicks, but this year?s project nearly didn?t happen because last years? unsuccessful nest was abandoned.

Just in the nick of time a new nest was located and the cameras moved. Live pictures of the nest are now being beamed into the coffee shop at the Studley Green Garden Store on the A40 near Stokenchurch.

?We?re extremely relieved? says Cathy Rose, who manages the project. ?After the parents didn?t return to last year?s nest and we couldn?t find where they?d moved to, we?d almost resigned ourselves to Nest Watch not happening this year. When members of the Southern England Kite Group discovered a new nest with three baby chicks, we were absolutely delighted and got straight to work relocating the camera!?

You can view the live Nest Watch images at the Studley Green Garden Store until late July. You can also watch video clips on the website: www.redkites.net

The Chilterns Conservation Board is looking for volunteers to help staff the Nest Watch stand at the garden centre over the next 8 weeks. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Cathy Rose on 01844 355 506 or Helen Olive on 07795 428 806.

Photo: By A Freeman