Red Kite over Bodmin Moor

Lovely raptor sighting on Sunday afternoon. We were strolling up Caradon Hill near the moorland village of Minions, with dog on the lead and babs in pushchair when my attention shifted from the massive 600ft Tv transmitter on the top of the hill to a little mid-air skirmish between a bird of prey and a crow. The usual reaction would be "ah...the buzzard and the corvid, nature's most ancient struggle for power(!)" but the longer wings, distinctive forked tail and general demeanour of this raptor unmistakeably spelt Red Kite. Cornwall occasionally witnesses visits from this stunning bird, whose numbers are happily increasing these days, but I hadn't seen one since last year so this was quite a coup for our Sunday leg stretch. Anyway, dismissing the crow with a sudden lunge, the kite soared upwards then passed overhead and receded slowly into the far distance, heading out towards Stowes Hill and Sharptor beyond.

Red Kite (not the actual one, but a lookalike)