Red Kite

[Michael Rolls]

out driving this morning west of Kirriemuir on the road to Alyth I was passing through an area were there was a scantily wooded area to my left, a denser area to my right. A large bird took off from my left, doing a near vertical bank to avoid the car before resuming level flight and disappearing to my right. This meant that I got to see both its underside and its top side. Checked my bird book when I got home. It was a Red Kite! I thought that in the UK they were only seen in North Wales, but I got such a good view of it, that I am sure that I am right. Only time I've seen one in the UK, although I saw several in Spain years ago.

[Jacqueline]

They are very common around here in Carmarthenshire, we see them most days flying over and circling over the garden. Had one come down once and took a chunk of stale cherry cake that I put out for the birds, he must have liked it as he came back for another bit.  There is a Kite feeding station near Aberystwyth you can see up to a hundred at a time, swooping down and picking up their feed by the lake. They are beautiful birds, I thought you had more of them in Scotland, we saw a couple on the Black Isle last year. 

[Michael Rolls]

My book must be out of date as it says only north Wales - never realised you had so many - lovely birds. Quite often see a buzzard or two around here - once driving down to Veronica's grave, there was one sitting on a fence post, so I coasted to a stop and we looked at each for a couple of minutes before he decided that he granted an audience to the peasantry for long enough and flew off.

[1955vintage]

They were introduced in Buckinghamshire a number of years ago. They are now very common. They are carrion eaters and have gravitated near the M40 and M25.

[klondike]

Very common along the Nene Valley and have been for quite a while now. We always chuck slices of bread out onto the marina and they often swoop down and take a bit in their talons and eat it in flight. Crusts give them a better chance of getting a quantity.

We mostly deadbait for pike in winter as it seems that all the other fish of any size make their way back out from the marina into the deeper water of the river and did try floating a raft out with some of our half eaten baits on but they were too wary of either the raft or the string and weren't tempted.

If you see them again pay attention to their tail in flight. The first time I saw one i wasn't entirely convinced that it wasn't a beautifully made radio controlled model from watching that.

[Michael Rolls]