Flora & Fauna

The Red Kite - a familiar feature in the sky above Harewood Downs

In 1989 nearly 100 kites were taken from all over Europe, carefully nurtured for the first few weeks of their lives and then released into the Chilterns. Today there are as many as 1,000 pairs in the area, making the reintroduction of the kite one of the greatest conservation stories of our age.

Red Kites are distinctive because of their forked tail and striking colour - predominantly chestnut red with white patches under the wings and a pale grey head.

They have a wingspan of nearly five-and-a-half-feet, but a relatively small body weight of 2-3Ibs. This means the bird is incredibly agile, and can stay in the air for many hours with hardly a beat of its wings.

They nests in trees, often close to other kites; in winter, many kites will roost together. In the spring the nests are obvious at the tops of trees.

The Chilterns Awards 2010

The Chilterns Conservation Board offers the annual Chilterns Awards to recognise the best work going on in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to conserve and promote its special features, and the inspiring people who are carrying out this work. Many excellent entries were received on 2010; amongst those recognised in the The Chilterns Outstanding People Award was Ken Sutton.  

"Ken Sutton is a long-term member of Harewood Downs Golf Club near Amersham. He has been instrumental in improving the wildlife value of the course through bringing in experts to survey the plant and animal species and then developing management policies to increase the biodiversity of areas like the rough grassland. As a result of his efforts and those of the ground staff the numbers of wildflowers and butterflies have increased substantially over the last six years. As Ken says, “We own over 100 acres of precious green space in Buckinghamshire, a county with much development. We have, in my view, an obligation to manage it responsibly.” The judges were impressed with his ongoing efforts to improve and raise awareness of the wildlife and conservation value of parts of Harewood Downs Golf Course, whilst balancing the recreational needs of the members and the aesthetic qualities of the land".