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Saturday, 27 July 2013

Red Kite - adult and juvenile





Whilst undertaking a survey on Friday in the middle of nowhere I came across a pretty agitated adult Red Kite, as there were no tallish trees around for nesting, and it is getting late, I presumed there was a fledged juvenile nearby.
Changing track and moving away so she could settle down, I then walked straight onto a juvenile who flushed from a low tree, this climbed up with the adult and then landed in another tree. I was walking away from her but as you can see from the photos, she kept an eye on me coming quite close at times.


Adult

Not very happy


Juvenile - pale tips to the coverts and tail not so pronounced


Juvenile - also paler vent area

Primaries not so prominent either

Adult







Of late I have been working away quite a bit and I have been constantly seeing Red Kites, not being familiar with their feeding habits here in Essex where they are still a bit of a rarity, it has been a bit of an education watching them. What I did not know was that they come right into large towns, sometimes quite low searching for carrion or road kills, additionally they also seem to work roads much the same as Buzzards, no doubt for road kill. It is quite a sight sitting at a set of lights and one drifts over low following a line of houses or gardens, no wonder there a photographers favourite.









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