Hi all,
In the Identify This! thread, I put up a photo of a fuzzy blob that had characteristics of a red kite. Now, the day before yesterday, I did get a picture of a red kite. It was some way a way by the time we had both found a gap in the trees through which it could be photographed.
Now, this one was spotted in my brother's field, which is about 2 miles, as the kite flies, from where I photographed the fuzzy one. So, the question is - am I seeing two kites or one? Are they territorial? Do they range each other's terrritories?
CheersSteve
PS - the nice thing about the kite is that, although I've never seen one before except on TV programmes ages ago, and in photos, the minute I saw it, it couldn't be anything else, even before it tilted enough to show me the forked tail.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_dewey/sets/72157623533703702/ (there's birds there - and some are actually sharp!)
Got a sighting at Orford, Suffolk on Friday. This is high magnification on a dot over trees my wife spotted. 70- 300 lens at maximun range. Is this a migrant bird?
DST, It could be but is unlikely to be a migrant as they are spreading widely now. I had a kite over me on the Wiltshire / Gloucestershire border yesterday. The first time I have ever moaned about seeing a red kite, but this one spooked 9 whimbrel in the field just as I was trying to photograph them.
The Cotswold Water park sightings website
My Flicker page
Thanks Bob. Much appreciate your reply. I'm no ornithologist but I thought it might be a rarity in my area. As for Wimbrels do I have a shot of one? Saw this possible curlew at Snape on Friday. You're more of an expert than I am - can you identify what this is....I hoping wing pattern might give it away. Thanks for your help anyway.
David Stratton-Thomsett
David, Possibly. The bill on a whimbrel goes straighter then curves where a curlew curves all the way along so on the photo it is possible but I am going to leave it to better ID experts than me.
I did manage to get one photo the other day to show the shape of the bill.
Hi Steve
They do have quite a long range and they can fly a long way. You might only be able to tell the differences by specific characteristics like the broken feathers on the left wing of the one in your picture
Best wishes Chris
Click Here to see my photos
Also juveniles are paler, they have a washed out look, the colours are much brighter on older birds so this might help you tell the difference if there are 2 birds around. Also between the white patch on the underside of the wing and going towards the body there is a narrow line of white feathers which is more pronounced on the younger birds again this might help you determine if you are looking at the same Kite or not.