Normal Red Kite behaviour?

[bleeper]

Each morning when I walk the dogs I am lucky enough to see numberous Red Kites. They are extremely active at the moment, pair off and looking at potential nest sites I think. This morning I watched a kite swoop down to a stream half a dozen times in what appeared to be an attempt to grab a dabchick. Is this normal?

[dragonfly]

iam not sure but i do think they will take small birds if they can but they feed on carean
mainly a place to go is the elan valley wales where you can visit red kite rescue and santuary you can get to hold one

[DuncanE]

They have been known to pluck birds out of the air too. But they can dive on them also, although I haven't seen them going for any of the phesants I see as i go passed on my commute to and from work. This also goes for small animals. (Although not from the air - unless they like bats!)

[Jolanta Zofia Nowak]

Kites, like Buzzards, are not the most agile of hunters when close to the ground and will often go for carrion or easy targets.

Allegedly, in the Middle Ages, they were a common sight in town centres feeding on offal and waste.

I've seen Peregrines and Hobbies hunting low over water but raptors, Ospreys apart, tend to fight shy of watery hunting grounds because of the risks involved.

Any seasoned birder will tell you how bankside geese and ducks will take hurriedly to the water if a hook bill appears, precisely because they know it's safer there.

Your post is therefore an interesting one and I'll be watching out for this kind of behaviour in future.

[bleeper]

Jolanta, as you say 'interesting', I have been watching kites in this area almost everyday for a few years now and have never seen anything like it. Typically I did not have my camera but was amazed at what I saw. Also we were only about 30 feet away from it and it just kept going back again and again, finally giving up and landing on the common instead (worms are probably easier!). Much to the relief of the dabchick I'm sure. I will have to spend some time there with my camera at the ready when I can.

Thanks for replies