Most recent UK and Irish reports of Black Kite
10/12/11.......................one black kite over Burnham Market (Norfolk)
06/11/11.......................one black kite over Portland (Dorset)
30/10/11.......................one black kite seen at Eldernell (Cambs).
Up to three Black Kites remained around Catchall (Cornwall) to 15th, with one reported on 17th. Interestingly, there were then three around St Mary's and Gugh (Scilly) from 16th-17th and these may well be the same Cornish birds relocating south.
Two of Cornwall's Black Kites continued to be seen around Catchall all week and another was also still at Polgigga to 11th. Another also remained on St Mary's (Scilly) to 7th, and in Dorset possibles were over Bournemouth on 9th and Ferndown on 11th.
Three Black Kites remained around Catchall and Drift Reservoir (Cornwall) over the week, and another wandered around St Mary's (Scilly) on 29th-5th October.
28/09/11.........................Glastonbury (Somerset) and Tresco & Bryher (Scilly)
27/09/11.........................Sandwich Bay (Kent)
24-28/09/11...................Drift Reservoir (Cormwall)
24/09/11........................Sancreed (Cornwall)
23/09/11.........................Polgigga (Cornwall)
15-16/09/11...................3 Black Kites together Polgigga (Cornwall)
10-14/09/11................. The Black Kite regularly seen at Polgigga ( Cornwall)
In Cornwall, there were reports of Black Kite from both the area around Lizard and Nanjizal/Polgigga to 3rd September, but it's unclear whether or not these sightings relate to the same bird. The only other report was over the Hog's Back (Surrey) on 3rd.
The only Black Kites reported were the wandering Cornish bird, which moved to Lizard Point on 27th-29th, and one at Whaddon (Bucks) on 31st, although a probable was also over Hilbre Island (Cheshire) on 25th.
The Cornish Black Kite went wandering this week: it was seen around Drift Reservoir and Catchall to 19th and reported over Helston later that day.
English sightings comprised just two in Suffolk and one in Cornwall.
08-09/08/11...Loch of Strathbeg (Aberdeenshire)
08-09/08/11.... Prestonpans (Lothian)
07/08/11..........Loch Avich (Argyll)
5-10/08/11......Northern Isles (Yell, Unst, Whalsay and Fetlar, Shetland)
27/07/11..........Stiffkey (Norfolk)
26/07/11.......... Sancreed (Cornwall)
23/07/11...........Eltham,(London); Bassingfield (Notts); Kennerleigh (Devon)
15/07/11.......... Beddington Sewage Farm (London)
28/06/11.......... same bird making it to St. Martin's (Isles of Scilly)
26th-27............Bryher and Tresco (Isles of Scilly)
25/06/11...........Hayle (Cornwall) possibly also at Drift Reservoir on 28th
16/06/11..........Bain Gravel Pits, Kirkby (Lincolnshire) (seen here on 31/05/11)
14/06/11........ Lady's Island Lake (Wexford)
10/06/11........ Johnshaven (Aberdeenshire)
10/06/11..........Manningtree (Essex)
04/06/11..........Polgigga (Cornwall)
31/05/11.........Gibraltar Point and Kirkby on Bain (Lincolnshire)
29/05/11..........Moorcourt (Hants); Loch of Tankerness
28/05/11.........flying south over Spurn (East Yorks); Flotta (Orkney)
24/05/11..........Folkstone, Kent; Sibton (Suffolk); Boscastle (Cornwall); Egilsay (Orkney);
one in off the sea at Great Yarmouth (Norfolk)
18/05/11......... Lough Boora Parklands (Offaly) Ireland
14/05/11......... Hertford
12/05/11.......... Burrafirth, Unst (Shetland) Same Black Kite as seen on 05/05/11
12/05/11........ inland birds at Ketton (Leics); Spurn's third record
Two reported in Suffolk and one in Cornwall - no details
08/09/05/11...Loch of Strathbeg (Aberdeenshire)
08/05/11....... .Prestonpans (Lothian)
07/05/11....... Loch Avich (Argyll)
05-10/05/11.. Yell, Unst, Whalsay and Fetlar (Shetland)
04/05/11....... Outertown (Orkney).
02/05/11........North Ronaldsay(Orkney)
Note - early May ......There were records of Black Kites from nine sites southeast of a line from the Wash to the Severn.
27/04/11........Stiffkey (Norfolk)
25/04/11........Harbridge (Hants)
25/04/11........St. Blazey (Cornwall)
23/04/11........Lizard Peninsula (Cornwall)
23/04/11.........Oxcombe(Lincolnshire Wolds)
20/04/11.........Dungeness (Kent)
17/04/11.........Marloes Mere (Pembrokeshire)
29/03/11.........Hardingstone Gravel Pits (Northamptonshire) This is unconfirmed.
08/02/11.........Tory Island (Co Donegal)
03/02/11.........Hewas Water and later at King's Wood (Cornwall)
01/02/11.........Slapton Ley (Devon)
01/02/11..........Ulverston (Cumbria)
The Black Kite
The Black Kite is more compact in shape than a Red Kite and is a duller, darker brown, lacking the red colours and the obvious white wing panels. Indeed, it is more likely to be mistaken for a female Marsh Harrier or a dark morph Booted Eagle but has more angular wings which it holds level or slightly drooping. Also, the tail of a kite always looks obviously pointed at its corners and the upperwing has distinctive pale panels across the coverts.
Habitat
Summer visitor to wooded valleys, feeding on farmland, watersides and rubbish tips.
Migration
European birds winter south of the Sahara in tropical Africa. Western birds migrate mainly through Gibraltar, whilst eastern birds pass through the Bosporus in Turkey and Sinai in Egypt.
This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.
The black kite, like its cousin, the Red Kite, like to decorate its nest, mostly with plastic rubbish.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12231819
BirdGuides rarity status: Scarce
Information courtesy of BirdGuides.com
Image courtesy of Tom Melton
This is an even rarer Kite. A leucistic kite is mainly pure white and does not have the red, grey and black colouring of the common red kite. A "white" kite is not an "albino" kite and has blue eyes, rather than the pink eyes displayed by an "albino" kite.
Craig Jones speaks of his experience in meeting this Leucistic Kite for the first time:
"I went to Gigrin for the very first time to photograph the beautiful Red Kites when this 'Leucistic' Kite turned up. It has started to visit the feeding station more and more after being born in 2003 and until recently hadn't been seen for some time.The weather was changing thoughout the day and here I captured him just lifting off almost like a RAF 'Heavy Bomber'."
Image courtesy of Tom Melton
Here, we see a Red Kite flying together with a White Kite.
Copyright Image courtesy of Nikon Kid Terry Cooper
For more information about the Leucistic Kite at Gigrin, go to http://www.gigrin.co.uk/white_redkite.html