Readers Photo: Majestic Red Kite looks on

The red kite is subject to the longest continuous conservation project in the world. The first Kite Committee was formed in 1903 by concerned individuals appalled at the continuing destruction of kites, who initiated the first nest protection schemes. The RSPB is thought to have been involved continuously since 1905.

In England the reintroduced birds can be found in the Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire area, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Yorkshire, Gateshead Northumberland and the Newcastle area and Grizedale Forest in Cumbria.

For the past 30 years, the EU Nature Directives have provided the highest level of protection for the now-thriving red kite – helping save it from extinction.

This stunning image of a red kite was captured by reader Marilyn Dore.