Red Kite in flight, Yorkshire

[Les McLean]

Taken the other day over the Harewood Estates. Yorkshire.
Canon 1Ds MKII, 1/640 @ f8,ISO 400, ISO400, 100-400L +1.4 TC, spot metering.

 

[Ewan]

Superb capture

The lighting is great.

 

[oldgit]

Not sure I like the "ringing".. I'd have thought that on the legs would have been better.

 

[Les McLean]

Not sure I like the "ringing".. I'd have thought that on the legs would have been better.

Hi paul, they are tagged on the wings, not sure why there instead of the legs, When they were introduced in Yorkshire (1999), they all had tags, colour coded for where they were released.
As they have bred, some of the younger birds aren't tagged, but I agree the 'taggless' (is that a word?) birds look better.

 

[Steep]

I suppose so that they can be identified from a distance without disturbing them?

 

[Venomator]

I suppose so that they can be identified from a distance without disturbing them?

Precisely that ... ... I believe it was to monitor the birds movements in the early days of the release program and becomes less critical for future generations when leg ringing will provide information (generally from recovered dead or injured individuals ... ) ... it is especially the case as these birds are more often seen in flight rather than at rest and identifying traditional leg rings in such cases would be well nigh impossible ... :shrug:


A very nice capture Les ... ... it could do with a little more attention to the underwings to bring out a bit of the detail imgo ...