24rd August 2006

Is it a bird, is it a plane or is it a Red Kite?

Well in fact it is the new sign for the Falcon - Hook Norton's pub the Falcon in Thame Park Road, Thame, Oxfordshire. And yes it is a Red Kite.

Britain has a unique heritage in its inn signs: a record of its history and the people who made it. Inn signs depict everything, from battles to inventions, from sporting heroes to royalty and in this case the fact that the Red Kite – once feared extinct – is now a common sight in the area.

The Red Kite is 61-72 cm long with a 175-200 cm wingspan. It is an elegant bird, soaring with long wings, and long forked tail twisting as it changes direction. In the Middle Ages Red Kites were much more widespread, their scavenging habits making them the refuse collectors of the day, but until recent years they had all but disappeared.

The Red Kites reintroduction in the Chilterns has been a particular success, with a now well-established strong population across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. The Kites are a common sight above the houses of Thame and its surrounding area. Sightings are common along the M40 between Oxford and Wycombe, all the way down to Reading and Newbury on the M4.