KITES NEST

A few weeks ago I was privileged to be taken to a Red Kite nesting site under schedule one licence with my old buddy Stephen Carter.

It's one of the happier stories in conservation of how the Red Kite is starting to spread out over our wooded valleys, a lot mainly due to reintroduction programs.

We did see one of the adults out hunting before we got to the site but I was to slow with the camera to get a decent shot, but here's an adult Red Kite I photographed at a different location.

adult red kite

When we arrived at the site there were two nearly full grown chicks in the nest and they both looked very healthy and well fed. Steve took some photos for me again under his schedule 1 licence and then we both left to leave them in peace.

red kite chick at the nest

second chick

both youngsters

It was great to be taken to and to see first hand the nest site and knowing that Red Kites after years of being absent from our Wooded Valleys are now doing well and will hopefully spread out even further across the country to the levels where they should be.

A WHINCHAT

In a previous post I'd stated that we had lost the Whinchat from the farm although I did spot a male in early spring but he was just passing through. What I can't understand is that the habitat is here for them and the likes of  Stonechat, Wheatear (although declining year on year) and Redstart are still breeding here, so there must be a reason why they are no longer breeding up here?

So a couple of weeks ago I headed for my old stomping ground Cwmtillery lake and reservoir to see if they're still doing ok up there.

It was good to see that the moorhen's and Coots have had a successful breeding season with both species feeding or tending to chicks the Coots nest was right up against the bank right next to the path that dog walkers fishermen and just people in general use quite frequently.

moorhen

moorhen with chick

coot

coot chick in the nest right next to the path

Walking up the path going towards the reservoir this rabbit was just sat on the path ahead of me but soon bolted soon as it saw me.

rabbit

Walking up around the top of the reservoir there were quite a few birds about but couldn't see any Whinchat but this Meadow pipit and Stonechat provided some good views.

meadow pipit

male stonechat

Walking back down towards the lake and thinking I wasn't going to see that elusive chat I heard a weird call it was a bit like a Stonechat call but at the same time very much different. Raising my bins up towards the call I'd spotted one, a female and it had it's chick with it. I scanned about for the male but it was nowhere to be seen, my thoughts were it had either been predated or was somewhere else looking after the other chicks, I rattled off quite a few shots before leaving it to feed it's chick.

female whinchat

And here's a shot of the chick, you can see the white eyestripe starting to develop.

whinchat chick

So had a great morning out and saw my target species the Whinchat even though it was just the female and it's chick I went home well happy.

taking off

I just hope in the not to distant future we'll have them back up here with us, they are cracking little birds.