This weekend sees the 10th annual census of red kites. The magnificent bird of prey, known as a
milan royal in French, has become less common over the years largely as a result of loss of habitat and poisoning through the use of pesticides. The birds gather at roosting sites in the Pyrenees at dusk enabling the 200 volunteers to count them. There are about 90 roosts with some dozens of birds per site. We occasionally see the kites in our skies here, but where we used to live in Henley a re-introduction programme has seen the birds become almost a commonplace sight in the Chilterns.
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