A volunteer has taken on the task of looking out for a hunting bird nicknamed The Wanderer, which has broken away from the rest of its flock.

Retired engineer Ken Sanderson, a volunteer for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) goes out several times a week to spot the male red kite, the only one of its breed in the hills and woods around Barnard Castle, County Durham.

It was one of 20 juvenile red kites released in the Derwent Valley, Gateshead, in July, in a project to encourage these large birds of prey, which were in danger of extinction, to settle again in different parts of Britain.

But The Wanderer soon parted from the rest, and for the past 11 weeks has been roaming the skies 30 miles south in Teesdale, sending out signals from a tiny transmitter on its back.

Mr Sanderson drives around with a wireless receiver until he picks up a signal. Then he closes in until he is near enough to see the bird with his binoculars.

He said yesterday, "It is a wonderful sight as it has a wing span of over 5ft and gives fantastic displays. I have seen it several times flying with a group of buzzards, which go after the same kinds of prey.

"It has roosted in eight different woods since it came to this area, ranging from Hamsterley Forest to a copse at Middle End, near Eggleston. It is officially called No 5 from the released batch, but I call it The Wanderer."

Experts now hope it will find a mate in time for the next breeding season and will eventually lead to a new colony of the breed flourishing in Teesdale.

Keith Bowey, manager of the project, said yesterday, "Fourteen of the 20 birds are still around Gateshead. The Teesdale one seems content on its own, but we expect it will link up with a mate in the future.

"Red kites can fly very high and see a long way, so they can spot another of the breed a great distance away and they may get together. But it would be no use us sending a female red kite to the area as they make their own choices."

Six similar projects have been started around Britain. This one is backed by several organisations, including the RSPB, English Nature, the Forestry Commission and Gateshead Council.