John Cantelo
Well-known member
As I've mentioned elsewhere on Bird Forum I've been somewhat desperate to catch up with Black Kite in Kent. It was particularly galling last year to hear of so many reports of the species in the Stour valley and not get the merest glimpse of my elusive quarry.
Today, like many days previously, I spent a few hours at Grove hoping for a fly-through Black Kite. My confidence wasn't helped by missing an Osprey that passed through at 7:50, what, until today, I would have supposed was the same bird over Collards after 9:30ish.
Late morning scanning through the 20 odd Hobby back towards Canterbury, I picked up a large droop-winged raptor flying towards me just above the skyline. It was obviously a kite and, unfortunately, equally obviously a Red, not Black one (it helped that I'd been watch both in Germany last month). The bird drifted below the horizon, dropped and almost landed in the fields on the south side of the reserve, but then, after a little hesitation, began to circle up higher and drift north.
I followed the bird as it circled higher and higher until it offered 'scope only' views. Then a second bird dived in from higher still to join it. I initially assumed that it was a Marsh Harrier, but, no, it was another kite! At much greater range this time it did take a few moments to check the bird, but it was another Red Kite! The two birds circled together for a few minutes then drifted apart with the first bird heading north and the second getting lost to sight. I can't recall any other records in Kent of two Red Kites together and had I not seen them together I'd have assumed that there had been only one bird. I most certainly wouldn't have found the second if I hadn't been following the first through the scope which rather begs the question of how many raptors pass high over Kent (and the UK in general) that we never see?
So, that makes Red Kites 6 Black Kites 0 in the county! OK so that total does include 2 wing tagged birds and I couldn't swear that the second bird today couldn't have had a tag, but it seems a bit much to have seen so many of one and none of the other. But the question is, how many high flying raptors are we missing passing over Kent, SE England and elsewhere?
John
Today, like many days previously, I spent a few hours at Grove hoping for a fly-through Black Kite. My confidence wasn't helped by missing an Osprey that passed through at 7:50, what, until today, I would have supposed was the same bird over Collards after 9:30ish.
Late morning scanning through the 20 odd Hobby back towards Canterbury, I picked up a large droop-winged raptor flying towards me just above the skyline. It was obviously a kite and, unfortunately, equally obviously a Red, not Black one (it helped that I'd been watch both in Germany last month). The bird drifted below the horizon, dropped and almost landed in the fields on the south side of the reserve, but then, after a little hesitation, began to circle up higher and drift north.
I followed the bird as it circled higher and higher until it offered 'scope only' views. Then a second bird dived in from higher still to join it. I initially assumed that it was a Marsh Harrier, but, no, it was another kite! At much greater range this time it did take a few moments to check the bird, but it was another Red Kite! The two birds circled together for a few minutes then drifted apart with the first bird heading north and the second getting lost to sight. I can't recall any other records in Kent of two Red Kites together and had I not seen them together I'd have assumed that there had been only one bird. I most certainly wouldn't have found the second if I hadn't been following the first through the scope which rather begs the question of how many raptors pass high over Kent (and the UK in general) that we never see?
So, that makes Red Kites 6 Black Kites 0 in the county! OK so that total does include 2 wing tagged birds and I couldn't swear that the second bird today couldn't have had a tag, but it seems a bit much to have seen so many of one and none of the other. But the question is, how many high flying raptors are we missing passing over Kent, SE England and elsewhere?
John