My First Isle of Wight Red Kite!

[Madelinew]

So excited I could hardly breathe. My family think I've taken leave of my senses thundering around the house to get another look.

I have spent hours searching along the South Wight area for Red Kites with no success. 10 minutes ago, I was looking out over my garden from the bedroom window of my house in Ryde when the trees suddenly cleared of birds in the same way they usually do when the sparrowhawk is around. Looking to see the source of the commotion, I saw a large bird slowly lolloping straight towards me at eye level over the trees. At first I thought it was a heron, the wingflap was that slow. Then I thought it was a buzzard and suddenly spotted the tail. Unmistakable Red Kite at very close quarters. It flapped over the top of my house so I charged to the other side to watch it fly off into the distance.

It had seemed completely uninterested in the commotion it caused amongst the birds, unbothered by the crows mobbing it too. However, I did notice that the upper third of it's right wing had quite a few feathers missing and it was quite scruffy in general so not in the best of conditions.

But how exciting!

[rogpow]

Glad you finally got to see one on the Island.

I saw (possibly) the same one at Whippingham at about 2:45 this afternoon. Flew right over my head, about 15 foot off the ground, heading towards Cowes.

[Madelinew]

How's that for co-ordinated spottings then Rogpow? I bet it was the same one. I'd say almost 45 minutes from my house to Whippingham as the crow - mean Red Kite - flies is probably about right. Mine had a very scruffy right wing and was flyng in an almost heron like slow manner. Does that sound like the same bird? I only had my very first sightings of Kites a few weeks ago in Oxfordshire and there were loads. This was extra special though. Aren't they big close up?

[rogpow]

Certainly sounds like the same bird. I understand one was also seen yesterday out near the Needles, don't know what time but "my" kite was heading in that general direction. I believe there were also sightings in the New Forest as well.
Other recent sightings on the Island have been at Parkhurst and Brading Marshes. Different birds apparently as one had wing tags, the other didn't. Don't know if either of these are the birds that were seen in the Shorwell and Ventnor areas earlier in the year.
Hopefully sightings are going to be more common in the future as the birds spread out from release sites.
Yes, they're certainly a good size when you see them up close. Similar to a buzzard but appear lighter in weight.

[sunnydale]

Originally Posted by Madelinew

So excited I could hardly breathe.
Unmistakable Red Kite at very close quarters. It flapped over the top of my house so I charged to the other side to watch it fly off into the distance.

Congratulations on your RK sighting Madeline. I had heard from a friend that there were a few on the island. He doesn't usually know a blackbird from a sparrow though, so I wasn't sure what to believe!
Turns out he didn't actually see them himself!