This afternoon I located six red kite in an area where I have never seen them before, Clyro Hill, less than two miles from Hay on Wye. There was a single adult bird plus five first winter birds one of which was tagged.
The weather was cold with bright sunlight but, I was always looking towards the sun as the birds quartered the fields paying particular attention to a field that had recently been used for free range pigs. The birds would frequently land in the fields but, the awful light conditions; it was like looking into slightly milky water, made the visibility poor. The tagged bird landed a number of times usually facing towards me so that I could not read the tags. On the few occasions it landed when I could see the tags, it took to the wing before I could focus my telescope. After much frustration and over two and a half hours of continual observation with binoculars and telescope, my patience was finally rewarded when I recorded black pink 29. I was pleased to identify the bird but, I was slightly disappointed as I had seen this bird previously.
This is the very same bird that I observed last Friday on the slopes of The Begwyns, about five kilometres to the south west. See my entry below.
This incident has posed a few questions:-
Was the adult bird from a nest that I have not located or was it from a known nest several miles from this location?
Are the first winter birds from unknown local nests or are they wanderers?
This incident has posed a few questions:-
Was the adult bird from a nest that I have not located or was it from a known nest several miles from this location?
Are the first winter birds from unknown local nests or are they wanderers?
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