For the AlbumThis board is where to post your pictures if you aren't seeking critical feedback. Instead, start a discussion about the subject matter rather than absolute technical quality.
Was in the village of Tetsworth in Oxfordshire today for lunch. This area is famous for its Red Kites and here are a few snaps from today:
Olympus OM-D E-M5 with Pansonic Lumix 100-300
It was very windy so they were moving fast and none of my shots were pin sharp, sadly. But there were plenty of them - at least ten in the field of view at one point.
At this resolution it's hard to tell they are not sharp; certainly the eye in No 1 looks like you've nailed it.
Iremember when these were one of our rarest birds and how thrilled I was when I caught a glimpse of one on the remote hills of Mid-Wales. Now they seem to be everywhere - show me a House Sparrow, please!
Thanks, John these are fine for Web resolution but they aren't sharp at 100% on-screen. I needed a faster shutter speed and better planning (tripod or monopod for a start!). But I wasn't out to stalk Red Kites, I was at a family get together in the village, so not too diappointed.
The Red Kite became almost extinct in the 19th century from persecution by farmers and shooters. There were a few breeding pairs left in Western Wales, but not enough to spread out.
In 1989 -1994, the Chiltern Conservation Board with the help of the RSPB imported a few breeding pairs and some chicks from Spain to try and re establish the breed in the UK. The first pairs were released in the West Wycombe area of the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire as it was similar habitat to their Spanish home.
These Kites can now be seen all along the M-40 corridor mainly because motor way grass verges and fields each side are great feeding grounds as the Kestrels know. They have bred very well, some say too well and have spread to wide areas of the Western home counties, Oxfordshire Etc..
The RSPB have said that to some extent Kestrels have been driven out of their motoway feeding grounds by the Red Kite.
Since 1999, chicks have been reared and re introduced to other parts of the UK and it is fast becoming Britains most prevalent bird of prey.
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