Red Kite roost

A generally grey and rainy day again, the first part of which was spent helping Lizzy's parents apply for visas to Kenya. She normally helps out when they struggle with technology, so we were glad to be able to step in. It was rather tricky, and involved scanning in and resizing images, which they would have found difficult with their current computer set-up. 

After a period of heavy rain in the early afternoon, the sun briefly appeared, which tempted me away from the computer. I knew it might not last so headed to Ferry Meadows for a quick walk, but found it heaving so moved onto Station Lane, which is usually quieter. I'm not sure what has happened since my last visit just before Christmas, but both verges had been completely trashed by large machinery, and the normal parking places were a mud bath. 

I turned the car round very cautiously and headed north, but by this time it had started to rain again. I decided to give up and head home, particularly as it was getting very dark, but as I drove past Foster's Coppice I noticed the Red Kites coming in to roost. I wasn't able to stop nearby, but briefly stopped a bit further along the road and took this distant view. I didn't make a detailed count, but estimate that I saw over sixty birds - wonderful!

While I was parked a flock of over a hundred Fieldfare flew over, the largest number I've seen this winter. At one point a Sparrowhawk flew through and picked one off - there was quite a commotion above me, but it was too dark and quick to capture any of this on camera so I'll just have to be content with the memory.

Alex is really poorly with the chest virus that's doing the rounds - I'm hoping to avoid it as I'm leading a walk tomorrow and have too many reports to complete to be ill!!