Red Kite

[snorkel_maiden]

Hi all- I've been reading a while but only just got around to joining and posting!

I'm very used to seeing red kites around as I live in Reading, but during the snow the other day this one was behaving very strangely. It was alone in the sky (not obvious from this picture so you'll have to take my word for it!) but twisting and turning and flapping all over the place- very different from the normal elegant glide!

Any ideas? Did it just not like the snow?

[Little Sparrow]

Was it distressed with an injury perhaps or god forbid that it had eaten something nasty!!!!

Edit: Forgive me...welcome to the forum!

[PeterB]

Not that I've got anything to add about it's behaviour, but it that not a Buzzard? I am only going by the tail.

Welcome to the forum Snorkel! (You must explain that user name some day!)

[snorkel_maiden]

It's definitely a kite; this picture isn't all that clear, though! The fork sometimes isn't obvious with the tail spread that wide.

It hadn't occurred to me that it might have eaten something bad :/