Kite flying

I first saw a Red Kite a few years ago whilst on holiday near Mount Snowdon in Wales. They were hypnotic as they soared gracefully in the clear blue sky. They appeared to climb higher and higher and at times became dark moving spots in the skyline. They were one of the most common of birds during Elizabethan times and all through our Medieval history. During these periods they were noted for their scavenging tendencies and would pick at the rubbish that had been deposited in city streets. As the country became cleaner so the kites became scarcer. Eventually they returned to their hunting skills to survive and are now tenacious predators taking lizards, amphibians, invertebrates, rodents, medium and large birds. They leave both chicks and small song birds alone. The female is the larger of the two measuring 24 inches whilst her consort measures a mere 22 inches.

Here are two Red Kites in courtship flying above my home in Worcestershire.

Red Kites soaring in courtship

Red Kites high in the sky 

Pair of Red Kites flying in courtship