A conservationist has told how he felt “goosebumps” when he saw the first of a new colony of red kites arrive as part of a major reintroduction project 20 years ago.
The Northern Kites project released almost 100 of the birds of prey into the lower Derwent Valley in Gateshead, Tyneside, between 2004 and 2006.
The birds used to be a common sight in Britain but damage to their habitats meant they were all but extinct from the country by the 19th Century.
It’s a great success story. Round here you can’t throw a stone in the air without hitting at least three Red Kites.