Not quite what I'd expected when Bruno and I left home this morning. Due to some maintenance work (?) the access to C&DAA's Minster fishery was shut off and as a result we ended up at Grove Ferry NR instead. In reality, it is no great hardship having to walk around this stunning reserve opposed to the set-a-side fields at Minster. With thick cloud cover and a fresh NE wind, it felt decidedly chilly and, as a result, there was nothing added to my meagre year list for our efforts. We walked as far as the Marsh Hide, before retracing our steps back to the van. Four Sedge Warblers offered snippets of song as we passed, a flock of seven Cattle Egrets flew over and a couple of male Marsh Harriers were proclaiming territorial rites above the adjacent reed beds. All very enjoyable yet equally predictable given the location. It was as we made our way back towards the van that I spotted a lone Red Kite slowly headed in our direction. It passed almost directly above where we were, but the light conditions ensured that my attempts at photography were pitiful ! I am, therefore, grateful for the tools available, via my digital editing program, which have allowed me to produce a useable image.
I watched this individual for a couple of minutes as it made it's way slowly north, into the breeze, before it was lost from sight behind some adjacent Hawthorn bushes. Little more than five minutes later, and some distance from the original position, I spotted another Red Kite, this time flying deliberately eastwards along the Stour Valley. Obviously I can't rule out the possibility of this being the same individual, but it didn't stop me enjoying a second encounter of the morning.
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