Kites & Kite Flying
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A kite flown by a kid in Dießen at the Ammersee lake.
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Red Kite - Milvus Milvus
Persecuted to near extinction in the UK, the Red Kite has made a tremendous comeback thanks to reintroduction programmes and legal protection. Seeing one of these magnificent birds soaring high in the sky is a true delight.
Once a very rare bird that could only be found in Central Wales, the Red Kite has been successfully reintroduced to several areas of the UK and can now be seen in Wales, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and the Chilterns. A large, graceful bird of prey, it soars over woods and open areas, its distinctive shape and 'mewing' calls making it easy to identify. Red Kites were routinely persecuted as hunters of game and domestic animals, but they are in fact scavengers, eating carrion and scraps, and taking only small prey like rabbits.
Red kites were common in Shakespearean London, where they fed on scraps in the streets and collected rags or stole hung-out washing for nest-building materials. Shakespeare even referred to this habit in 'The Winter's Tale' when he wrote: 'When the kite builds, look to lesser linen'. The nest of a red kite is an untidy affair, often built on top of an old Crow's nest. It is lined with sheep's wool and decorated with all kinds of objects like paper, plastic and cloth.
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Red Kite - Milvus Milvus
Persecuted to near extinction in the UK, the Red Kite has made a tremendous comeback thanks to reintroduction programmes and legal protection. Seeing one of these magnificent birds soaring high in the sky is a true delight.
Once a very rare bird that could only be found in Central Wales, the Red Kite has been successfully reintroduced to several areas of the UK and can now be seen in Wales, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and the Chilterns. A large, graceful bird of prey, it soars over woods and open areas, its distinctive shape and 'mewing' calls making it easy to identify. Red Kites were routinely persecuted as hunters of game and domestic animals, but they are in fact scavengers, eating carrion and scraps, and taking only small prey like rabbits.
Red kites were common in Shakespearean London, where they fed on scraps in the streets and collected rags or stole hung-out washing for nest-building materials. Shakespeare even referred to this habit in 'The Winter's Tale' when he wrote: 'When the kite builds, look to lesser linen'. The nest of a red kite is an untidy affair, often built on top of an old Crow's nest. It is lined with sheep's wool and decorated with all kinds of objects like paper, plastic and cloth.
(Rostrhamus sociabilis) The snail kite is a locally endangered species in the Florida Everglades, with a population of less than 400 breeding pairs. Research has demonstrated that water-level control in the Everglades is depleting the population of apple snails which is their main diet. Their slender curved bill is ideal for winkling apple snails out of their shells!
Image taken in Spain.
Many thanks to everyone that views and comments on my images - very much appreciated.
Wikipedia: The black kite (Milvus migrans) is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have experienced dramatic declines or fluctuations. Current global population estimates run up to 6 million individuals.
Unlike others of the group, black kites are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend much time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food. Their angled wing and distinctive forked tail make them easy to identify. They are also vociferous with a shrill whinnying call.
The black kite is widely distributed through the temperate and tropical parts of Eurasia and parts of Australasia and Oceania, with the temperate region populations tending to be migratory. Several subspecies are recognized and formerly had their own English names. The European populations are small, but the South Asian population is very large.
Conservation status: Least Concern
I looked up and it was there, soaring high over the tall trees at Corkscrew Swamp, and then it was gone. Actually, there were two of them, and I got a second quick look to snap this picture.
It was particularly exciting, an unexpected chance, because it was a life bird, and according to the park rangers, the first Swallow-tailed Kite observed this late winter/early Spring season.
Life bird photograph #223
During this lockdown I have been re-visiting and re-processing some of my older images.
This is from my first trip to Gigrin in Mid-Wales .
It was great to see the pair of Black-shouldered Kites back in the Sneydes Rd area this morning. I observed them collecting nesting material again.
I will be back later to catch up - got to run for now.
It was my first time photographing this species. I had seen them before in TX. I was lucky to see this bird at its nest in Patagonia. I love how fierce they look!!
A small piece of a kite string formed to a knot which is approx. 2 ¼” x 1.5” in this macro.
[Dedicated to CRA (ILYWAMHASAM)]
😄 Happy Macro Monday 😄
Taken 16.10.2020 and uploaded for the group Macro Mondays #String
ƒ/2.8
4.5 mm
1/160 Sec
ISO 400
Snail Kite ~ (Rostrhamus sociabilis)
A Snail Kite in flight with nesting material.
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Historically, snail kites were found from the Everglades to just southeast of Tallahassee, but wetland drainage and development eliminated or altered its shallow freshwater foraging habitat
Generally, the species is somewhat nomadic, moving from wetland to wetland in search of snails, but they are regularly seen in the marshes associated with lakes Kissimmee, Okeechobee and Tohopekaliga, at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, water conservation areas (Everglades), and even along stretches of the Tamiami Trail.
The Florida snail kite is aptly named - it feeds almost exclusively on apple snails and, in the United States, is found only in Florida.
The species was listed as endangered in 1967. Today, the population is considered to be stable, but extremely vulnerable to the stresses of habitat loss, prolonged droughts and anything that affects the availability of apple snails, its primary food.
Snail kites breed from December to August and lay an average of three eggs in bulky nests built in a variety of wetland trees, shrubs and emergent vegetation. During the nesting season, the birds are usually found singly or in pairs; in winter, they often roost together in communal groups.
Lucky observers will witness the snail kite in action, as it searches for its prey by flying low over shallow freshwater marshes scattered with shrubs and trees. When it spots a snail, it swoops down, extends its legs into the water and briefly hovers while it grasps the snail with its talons. While still in flight or after landing on a nearby perch, the kite uses its thin, hooked bill to pull the snail from its shell.
I found this Male perched in a Sable Palm along the shore of Lake Kissimmee, at Joe Overstreet Landing.
Red Kite - Milvus Milvus
Double click
Persecuted to near extinction in the UK, the Red Kite has made a tremendous comeback thanks to reintroduction programmes and legal protection. Seeing one of these magnificent birds soaring high in the sky is a true delight.
Once a very rare bird that could only be found in Central Wales, the Red Kite has been successfully reintroduced to several areas of the UK and can now be seen in Wales, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and the Chilterns. A large, graceful bird of prey, it soars over woods and open areas, its distinctive shape and 'mewing' calls making it easy to identify. Red Kites were routinely persecuted as hunters of game and domestic animals, but they are in fact scavengers, eating carrion and scraps, and taking only small prey like rabbits.
Red kites were common in Shakespearean London, where they fed on scraps in the streets and collected rags or stole hung-out washing for nest-building materials. Shakespeare even referred to this habit in 'The Winter's Tale' when he wrote: 'When the kite builds, look to lesser linen'. The nest of a red kite is an untidy affair, often built on top of an old Crow's nest. It is lined with sheep's wool and decorated with all kinds of objects like paper, plastic and cloth.
Red kite (Milvus milvus) dives to the ground; municipality Adamuz in the community Andalusia (Spain), 24-11-2019.
The image was taken from a photo hide owned by a company "Alpasin" (alpasin.com/).
Thanks a lot, everyone, for stopping by, for looking my work, for your comments and likes! Always appreciated!
Nikon D500, Sigma 60-600mm Sports lens, 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1600, ISO 1250. Recently fledged juvenile raptor with one of two very attentive parents. View large.
Snail kites inhabit marsh habitats in both the Everglades of south Florida and shorelines of lakes in central Florida. They frequently can be seen slowly flying along the shorelines seeking their primary food item, the apple snail. At other times, you may see a kite perched on a clump of cattail or in a willow tree. During droughts, kites may disperse from their traditional range in the Everglades and larger lakes from Lake Okeechobee north to Lake Tohopekaliga and show up at smaller lakes and marshes throughout south and central Florida. Snail kites nest during February to August in Florida. During the nonbreeding season, kites may form large communal roosts in both cattail and willow stands where they can be seen flying into the site 1-2 hours before sunset.
It is along the margins of Lakes Okeechobee, Kissimmee and Tohopekaliga where most boaters or anglers may see a snail kite.
I found this female in Osceola County, Florida on Lake Kissimmee.
Black-shouldered Kite, Elanus axillaris
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I'm here, trying to catch my dinner, what's your excuse for being in the rain?
I'd had to walk a long way across the paddock to find this Kite.
I'd risked the impending squall, but it swept in quickly.