What Bird (Monster) Is This?

[sa_20v]

Hearing an awful racket from other birds last night I ran outside to see this monster. Any ideas on what it is (yes, I know it's some kind of bird)?

[GWC]

Looks like a kite.

[Granville]

Yes Red Kite.

[Feirny]

GWC said:

Looks like a kite.

I can't see any strings.

[bexVN]

Good photo considering the short time you'd have had to take it!

[sa_20v]

bexVN said:

Good photo considering the short time you'd have had to take it!

It's not as sharp as I hoped (focus settings were completely wrong) but managed to snap on the 100-400mm lens instead of the 24mm STM that was on there (which would have produced a feathery dot)!

[bexVN]

sa_20v said:

bexVN said:

Good photo considering the short time you'd have had to take it!

It's not as sharp as I hoped (focus settings were completely wrong) but managed to snap on the 100-400mm lens instead of the 24mm STM that was on there (which would have produced a feathery dot)!

Yes I noticed it could have been sharper but still impressed. I appreciate well taken photos even if I can't take them . I figured whoever took this one has knowledge (me; I have a camera phone )

[sa_20v]

bexVN said:

Yes I noticed it could have been sharper but still impressed. I appreciate well taken photos even if I can't take them . I figured whoever took this one has knowledge (me; I have a camera phone )

I have the gear, not the knowledge!

[Mr GrimNasty]

It's a Woggle Bird. Gene Kelly's not far behind.

[DannyScene]

These are by far my favourite wild UK animal

I live near harewood where they have a really successfull breed and release program so see these awesome birds daily, I just wish I had a camera/lens capable of photographing them as well as you have there

Did you know it used to be the law to kill these birds? What a load of ste

[Turn7]

Granville said:

Yes Red Kite.

Plus one....

[Pesty]

rich83 said:

Awesome birds.... often seen on the m40 corridor too. Much bigger than you imagine.

Aha is that what they are. Thousands of them down that motorway. Seem to be getting further north every time I drive down it too.

[maxjeff]

seems like most people agree this is a red kite, Saw one near Pontypridd recently first time I saw them outside of the Brecon Beacons. Hopefully that is a good sign for them as they are stunning birds

[Stig]

As said above, it's a Red Kite. We have dozens of the things round where I live and they can be very noisy.

Flippin huge too!

Good to see them thriving.

[Issi]

They were down to a handful of pairs 50 or so years ago, drive down through west Wales and they're everywhere. Even saw one in the middle of the Gower, which was cool.

The toy kite was named after the bird and not the other way round.

[DannyScene]

We appear to have a pair nesting extremely close by as they've been over our house every day without fail for the last few weeks

I couldn't be happier, favourite animal ever

[Chucklehead]

Sawone or two of these while enjoying the sunshine at Henley Regatta last week as well..

[otolith]

When I lived in mid-Wales in the early 90's, they were a bit special, you didn't really see them anywhere else. Now there are loads of them around Reading/Newbury and I've seen a few round Swindon recently.

[jmorgan]

otolith said:

When I lived in mid-Wales in the early 90's, they were a bit special, you didn't really see them anywhere else. Now there are loads of them around Reading/Newbury and I've seen a few round Swindon recently.

If we were out hiking mid Wales in the 80's we "might" catch a glimpse of one. We would not mention it back at the pub, for obvious reasons. Glad things have changed.


I saw one over us in S Wales a few weeks ago, superb sight.

[NorthernSky]

Feirny said:

GWC said:

Looks like a kite.

I can't see any strings.

Annnnd...

It... isn't red? :/ :,(