It was quite windy here today so I headed out with a smaller lens than usual (Canon 70-200mm) with the intention of concentrating on birds in flight, as I usually take so many of their antics on the ground! Sure enough, as I wandered around Felixstowe Ferry there were various birds enjoying the conditions:
A graceful herring gull.......
.......followed by a waggly-winged cormorant!
An incoming black-headed gull.
It's soon off again as it spots potential trouble near the nest!
Triumphant!
I can't get enough of seeing our bigger gulls in flight - they are so beautiful to watch!
Just for a change, a party of wood pigeons.
It was to my enormously good fortune that I happened to be sitting outside the local pub when one of the local crows chased this next bird straight over my head, which resulted in a machine-gun effect from my camera:
Blimey!!!!!!!!! It's safe to say this is my first ever sighting of a magnificent red kite here.
Off it heads, over the pub. Wow.
After a celebratory cup of tea at the local caff I turned my attention to the water:
This should please the local gulls!
Talk of the devil......
Perhaps it had spotted a second boat following the first in.
I hope they've both got a good catch!
Enjoy, as always.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
Nice addition to the Gull collective. I expect the GBBG's would not have approved. I didn't realise that Red Kites had spread so far east. I've yet to see one.
Unicum arbustum haud alit duos erithacos
(One bush does not shelter two Robins)
Zenodotus (3rd Century B.C.)
Wow Clare - you had some good reflexes there to get the Red Kite when you were least expecting it! Lovely photo.
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Congratulations on your first F. Ferry Red Kite, Clare! I've only seen two over our house here (although we have seen lots of them along the M40 over the years) but seeing one close to home is always a very special thrill.
Kind regards, Ann
It's the very first one I've seen in this area. Minsmere gets the odd sighting but they remain an uncommon bird here.....though perhaps not for too much longer!
Nice set of photos, Clare. I also like when it's windy as it slows the birds down a bit and helps the in flight pics. Lovely Red Kite shot.
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Smashing set of photos Clare and well done on the Red Kite,I wonder where that one came from.They have spread around the country very well since various release schemes over the years. "Our" birds in Yorkshire have spread very well into many corners of the county but unfortunately some people do not appreciate such a magnificent raptor. I like the idea that your bird headed for the pub a well trained bird !!
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
I would suggest that it is quite possible that the Red Kite was a migrant on it's was from wintering areas in Spain to breed in Scandinavia - although it is now impossible to have any certainty about origins as birds from the reintroduced populations wander widely during March-early May as well.
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Well done on the Red Kite and all the photographs, what a lovely surprise Clare. Strangely enough we were too early for opening of Burton Mere on the Wirral today so instead headed first to Neston and then Parkgate getting to Burton early afternoon only to be told we'd missed seeing a Red Kite, Marsh Harrier and Buzzard all together in the same vicinity !!!
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Regards, Hazel
Having the smaller lens with you didn't stop you getting a brilliant photo of the red kite Clare, very quick reflexes there. Lovely photos of all the regulars too.
Lot to learn
Having the smaller lens actually helped me to focus on the bird more quickly. I'm so glad I had that on the camera at the time - I would certainly have taken less snaps of it if my 150-600mm lens had been attached when the kite appeared.