WS #5: The Comeback Kite
The cache, a camo-taped pre-form tube, is hidden along this more open stretch of riverside trail from which one of these iconic birds was spotted in typical elegant flight over the fields north of the river.
To reach the cache location: (from the west) park @ or near N 53 54.957 W 1 44.698 on the approach road to the old mill complex and after securing your car, cross the road and pick up the small trail heading across the top of the woodland, down to and along the river.
(from the east) park @ or near N 53 54.578 W 1 43.635 in the lay-by and pass through the gate at its west end into the field and across to the trail running alongside the river.
The red kite (Milvus milvus) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. It currently breeds in the Western Palearctic region of Europe and NW Africa.It lives in broadleaf woodlands, valleys and wetland edges up to 800 m the milder parts of its range in western Europe and northwest Africa. However, birds from NE and C Europe winter further south to Turkey and west. Vagrants have reached as far north as Finland and south to Israel, Libya and Gambia. Of the 2 recognised sub-species (the other now probably extinct) the one found in UK is M.m.milvus.
During the Middle Ages In the UK it was a valued scavenger helping keep streets clean and was protected by a royal decree - killing one attracted capital punishment! However, by the 16th century a bounty was placed on its head and, in common with many other birds of prey, it was relentlessly persecuted as 'vermin' - especially by game-keepers who wrongly accused it of taking game. They eventually became extinct in England in the 1871.
They were subsequently reintroduced periodically from 1989 and after a slow start it has made a tremendous recovery and they are now well established in several parts of the country. In 1999 they were released around Harewood near Leeds and are now a common sight in a wide area north of Leeds - including around Otley & Ilkley.
It is 60-70 cm long with a 175–179 cm wingspan; males weigh 0.8-1.2 kg and females 1-1.3 kg. It is an 
elegant bird, soaring on long wings held at a dihedral, and long forked tail, twisting as it changes direction. Its call is a thin piping sound, similar to but less mewling than the common buzzard (listen here).
Breeding: They first breed when 2 years old and are monogamous. The nest, built by both sexes, is usually in a fork of a large hardwood tree at a height of 12-15 m. A pair will sometimes use a nest from the previous year and can occasionally occupy an old nest of the common buzzard. The male brings dead 30-50 cm twigs which are placed by the female. The nest is lined with grass and sometimes also with sheep's wool. Both continue to add material to the nest during the incubation and nestling periods. Nests vary greatly in size and can become large when the same nest is occupied for several seasons.
1-3 eggs (sometimes 4-5) are laid at 3-day intervals starting late March and are mainly incubated by the female, but the male will relieve her for short periods while she feeds. The male will also bring food for the female. Incubation starts as soon as the first egg is laid and takes 31-32 days from the date the particular egg was laid. Chicks are cared for by both parents. The female broods them for the first 14 days while the male brings food to the nest which the female feeds to the chicks. Later both parents bring items of food which are placed in the nest to allow the chicks to feed themselves. The nestlings begin climbing onto branches around their nest from 45 days but they rarely fledge before 48-50 days and sometimes not until they are 60-70 days old. The young spend a further 15-20 days in the neighbourhood of the nest being fed by their parents. Only a single brood is raised each year but if the eggs are lost the female will relay.
The maximum age recorded is 25 years and 8 months for a ringed bird in Germany. The max for Britain and Ireland is 23 years and 10 months for a bird found dead in Wales in 2012. However a typical lifespan is only 4 years.
Food: it eats mainly small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, young hares and rabbits. It feeds on a wide variety of carrion including sheep carcasses and dead game birds. Live birds are also taken and occasionally reptiles and amphibians. Earthworms form an important part of the diet, especially in spring. In some parts of UK, they are also deliberately fed in domestic gardens, explaining the presence of red kites in urban areas. Up to 5% of householders provide supplementary food for red kites - mainly chicken.
As scavengers, they are very susceptible to poisoning. Illegal poison baits set for foxes or crows are 
indiscriminate and kill protected birds and other animals. There have also been a number of incidents of red kites and other raptors being targeted by wildlife criminals.
In the UK, there have been several unusual instances of red kites stealing food from people in a similar manner to gulls. One occurred in Marlow, Buckinghamshire (near a major UK reintroduction site for the species) when they swooped down to steal sandwiches from people in one of the town's parks.
A few interesting facts . . . it is attracted to shiny and colourful objects often incorporating them into their nests; it was once a common bird in London and scavenged for scraps and rags for nest building; Shakespeare refers to the red kite 15 times in his works.
Links: see . . .
here for more information on this magnificent bird, including its place in history
here for a factsheet on the bird
here for an excellent comprehensive website devoted to the Red Kite in Yorkshire with photos, videos, other links and a map for recording sightings of the bird
here (red kites attracted to residential areas) and here (remarkable recovery) and here (interactive 360o feeding frenzy) for short BBC videos and here for the longer video - Red Kite Nest Diary 2013