Kites and Kestrels

Over the past week or so, I have been lucky enough to have seen at least one Red Kite every day from my office window. It is not that I have been spending all my time in the office, it is just that I have been lucky. I have been keeping a camera at my side too, but as happened yesterday, the Kite appeared really quickly just over the roof tops and while very close, between twenty to thirty feet from my window, it was not in view for that long. Still a great view and sighting and while I could have gone chasing after it to try and get a picture, sometimes it is just nice to sit back and appreciate seeing the bird flying free.

There really are some very good signs that spring is upon us. Just the other day while in bed, I heard a vixen bark. Not that I needed to prove it, my better half is now convinced that I am mad, as I got up and did go searching to see if I could photograph her, or at least locate her. I think I discovered where she was out hunting, but I lost track of where she headed. Therefore, I don't know where the foxes den will be. Further while I did not get a clear view of the fox, I could at times see a shadow, a silhouette and the fox, if that is what I was seeing, could have been heavily pregnant. Thus there could be cubs about soon. I will have to look into this, but it seems rather early for the fox to be giving birth, but equally it may just be that as this winter has been harder and more normal that it just feels early.

Today, I saw another Red Kite as I first sat at my computer, and as I was writing I saw that there were two Kites. I looked up again, and in the same part of the sky, over some traditional grass meadow owned and managed by the council for wildlife, I saw a Kestrel. I went to make a cup of tea, and when I returned I looked again and the Kestrel was gone and there were four Red Kites in the air. So this has been a good Friday.