

Red kites were once widespread in urban and rural areas – in medieval times they were even protected as street cleaners in the city of London. The early 90s was a turning point for the UK’s red kites – a light at the end of a very long tunnel after more than three hundred years of persecution had left the species hanging on by a thread.

Ever since then, the Powell family have fed red kites on their farm every day of the year, come rain, wind or shine. The Powell’s serendipitous discovery had sparked an idea within the RSPB, which asked the Powell’s if they would be willing to have the first official red kite feeding centre at Gigrin Farm. “We thought we were in trouble, because these are protected species of course.”įar from it. “Next thing we know there was a call from the RSPB, and they wanted an urgent meeting,” says Powell. Thrilled with their visitors, the Powells continued to feed the kites with rabbits when they were available – and later with meat from the local butcher. “We hadn’t seen them in this area ever, so we were really quite excited with that.”Īt the time, these charismatic raptors with their distinctive forked tails and rusty hue, while still found in many parts of Western Europe, were a rare sight in the UK. “We came out from lunch one day and two kites were dipping down on the rabbit,” recalls Powell. Rather than waste the carcasses, the Powells deposited them in a field away from their herd of sheep to distract the crows and ravens from harming newborn lambs. At the time, the Powell’s enthusiastic spaniel was dispatching rabbits with ruthless aplomb.
Zebu red kite Patch#
The Powell’s 200-acre farm sits in a peaceful patch of Welsh countryside next to the market town of Rhayader in mid Wales. In 1992, Chris Powell and his father Either unwittingly became involved in arguably the UK’s greatest conversation success story – the spectacular recovery of the red kite ( Milvus milvus). In the surrounding trees, red kites that have already arrived watch the field below with keen eyes in anticipation of what's coming. However, at the peak of earnings, along with the fall in metal prices, the long position that once brought huge gains to the fund has undoubtedly become the source of losses.Īlthough commodity prices are now volatile, redemptions by investors have led to the closure of some well-known funds.THE SKY rings with the distinctive mewling whistle of the red kite as hundreds of birds, spiralling with easy grace on currents of warm air, glide towards Gigrin Farm. In 2006, the Red Kite hedge fund was one of the most profitable funds in the commodity market, earning more than 100%.

, Red Kite did not respond to the above message. The closure of the Red Kite Fund marks the end of the partnership between the two major dealers. He Jinbi, chairman of Maike Group, said in an interview that the partners began to dissolve the Red Kite Fund last month and are currently in liquidation. Xi'an Maike and Red Kite set up the Red Kite Fund in 2008.

Xi'an Maike, China's largest copper importer, also has real estate, futures brokerage and logistics businesses. SMM6, March 24 / PRNewswire-Asianet /-due to rising management costs and investor divestment, Xi'an Maike Metals International Group and Red Kite Fund Management closed Red Kite, a China-focused metal hedge fund jointly managed by both of them.
