not seen one before in essex

[milo]

hello all ( i'm new here so if i've posted in the wrong area ... sorry )

anyway
today on my usual trip just through GT Waltham in Essex , i saw a red kite riding the thermals above a field just off of the minor road i have to travel down

i have seen various birds of prey in the area but was stunned to see this beautiful bird
sorry i have no pics as they would have been from my phone and i was unable to stop

i wonder if it will still be in the area tomorrow ... i hope so

i only looked up and joined this site becuase of this sighting and thought it might be of interest to some and i might get some info on these birds in this area ... if any

thanks ... milo

[ellen h]

Hello Milo,
I saw a red kite at Hadleigh castle country park(Essex) last year.I was walking along one of the paths that overlook farmland,suddenly this red kite flew up apparently from the ground and headed towards the estuary followed by a few crows!! I couldnt believe it and phoned one of the park rangers who said that he had seen it too in the same area the day before.Apparently it was around for a few days before moving on.It is hoped we may see more this year,red kites have certainly been sighted in parts of Essex this last year
regards
ellen

[aeshna5]

As in many other counties Red Kites are now increasingly being seen in Essex which is great news as they are such superb birds. This is a good time of year to look for them, especially in periods of settled weather.

[ellen h]

Am certainly looking out for them lol!!

[werdnal]

There have been several Red Kite sightings on our local birding blog in Cornwall this past week. Never knew they were so far south now. Not seen one myself but live in hope!

[milo]

i hope it is going to be around again and i'm pleased to know i wasn't imagining things

i'll be back there tomorrow ... what do you think the chances of seeing it are again

thanks for the replies by the way

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by milo

i hope it is going to be around again and i'm pleased to know i wasn't imagining things

There's no need to imagine seeing Red Kites in Essex any more - they are still scarce but gradually increasing, with March to May the best time to 'bump into' one. The records of Red Kite that are reported to the Essex Birdwatching Society are now too numerous for all records to be published in full in the annual bird reports, they are summarised instead.

Still a good bird to see in the county though, I've seen two so far this year in south-west Essex.

[Ridgewell]

I am amazed that I have just seen a Red Kite over Ridgewell in Essex today! Every wood pigeon in the nearby tree scattered. The last time I saw a Red Kite was in Wales in the 1970s when there were (I think) only 12 breeding pairs.