Winner!

[John N]

A very deserved winner by Steve Marriot of the RED KITE, pretending to be an Osprey. I once saw one drop out of the sky and pick up some riverweed without leaving a ripple on the surface or so it seemed.
I'm no Ornithologist / Twitcher and it certainly looks like a RED KITE, but I was told that although large and aerobatically agile they were quite week, hence their preference for carrion. But I was also told they are changing their habits.

If Steve reads this I would be interested to know if the Kite completed the capture and was able to fly away with it.

[Trev B]

A very deserved winner by Steve Marriot of the RED KITE, pretending to be an Osprey. I once saw one drop out of the sky and pick up some riverweed without leaving a ripple on the surface or so it seemed.
I'm no Ornithologist / Twitcher and it certainly looks like a RED KITE, but I was told that although large and aerobatically agile they were quite week, hence their preference for carrion. But I was also told they are changing their habits.

If Steve reads this I would be interested to know if the Kite completed the capture and was able to fly away with it.

No Picture ??????

[John N]

It came to me via email as a subscriber to EOS Magazine. Here's a screenshot, hope I've not trodden on any toes posting it.

rk.jpg

[Trev B]

Yes I did see it, never realised that’s what you were referring to.

[tigerburnie]

Never seen a Kite fishing before, one of the things that restricts what quarry birds of prey hunt is the their hunting tools, Eagles, Hawks/Buzzards/Ospreys have large powerful feet so can hunt larger prey. Falcons have less powerful feet and kill prey with a bite, not with the feet and Kites have even weaker feet and are generally thought of to be scavengers. However, my old Saker Falcon would have a go at young Rabbits, falconers have reported Peregrines lifting Mountain Hares off the ground, but generally they don't take game from the ground unless it has feathers. As Kites are not used in falconry, they were less studied, so it would not surprise me if Kites hunt and take all manner of smaller quarry, my local keepers report that they take road kill pheasants off the road, I have wondered if the might tackle a live one or not.

[SpringfieldPhoto]

A truly amazing picture. I have never heard of this behaviour froma Kite, which makes the picture even more amazing.