During the breeding season I was invited to record the surveying and tagging procedures for the Central Scotland RSG Study on Common Buzzard in conjunction with the national Red Kite monitoring / tagging scheme.

This study aims to look at the dispersal and survival of Common Buzzards from a long term study in the Stirling and West Perthshire area. This has included detailed surveys, monitoring nest sites and tagging buzzards in the same way as red kites.

The wing tags used are exactly the same as the ongoing national red kite monitoring scheme

with different coloured tags used each year. Each tag has a unique number or letter so that birds can be easily identified from a distance. In addition, many of the red kite chicks were also fitted with radio transmitters as part of the local wind-farm study.

Wildlife photography is proving an essential tool for identification of these birds once they have fledged. Reports of marked birds should be sent to:

Please include the date, location, tag details of any tagged birds seen. Pictures are gratefully received.

Many thanks to: Mike McDonnell (Argaty Red kites), David Anderson (Forestry Commission Scotland) Duncan Orr-Ewing (RSPB Scotland) and Guy Anderson (RSPB the lodge sandy) for this opportunity.

2008 / 2009 Ringing of the Peregrines at the Falls of Clyde, New Lanark, 2008 we had 3 chicks and only 1 chick in 2009 many thanks to George Smith, SWT manager S. Blow and Stevie Kane SWT Peregrine Officer.

please note all work and photographic images are under licenses and each image is copyright protected by       Dean Bricknell                 to view the images CLICK HERE