The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Thimbleby, 18th June.

2 Red Kites overflew the A158 just north of Crowders Nursery at 1245hrs today and proceeded on a SW heading over Thimbleby village.

Also, one hunting over field next to Blue Bell at Tattershall Thore at about 1:45. It was finally seen off by 2 common tern.

Dave

Baumber, Monday 29th.


How do they find out?

Due to the favourable forecast for the week I decided to mow a field of grass for hay making. In the 3 ours it took to mow I recorded the following predator/ opportunists which visited the mown swathes in search of food:-

Magpie x2
Carrion Crow x6
L. Black backed gull x2ad
Buzzard x2
Kestrel x2
Red Kite X1

The kite was the last to arrive and although briefly alighting on the ground left quickly without a meal. Kites are still uncommon around here but I have been visited by them on each of the last three years whilst mowing. There must be an avian telegraph system similar to the Vultures on the African plains that allow all the above characters to exploit a new feeding opportunity.

raptors can get up to 2000 - 3000 feet at this time of year and with their eyesight and knowledge of local crops checking for the harvest day is I would guess a standard hunting technique; corvids will be local birds no doubt and Lesser Black-backs are just about everywhere now in Lincs in summer with non-breeding pairs loafing and drifting around over large areas daily -- like raptors with their eyesight and also sense of smell they will pick up feeding opportunities from a long way off -- 2 Red Kites were between Bigby and Brigg on the afternoon of June 24th but Colin Horton reported 3 together there the same afternoon; all 2cy birds in heavy wing moult -- teenagers wandering around with nothing better to do