The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Roy White has kindly provided the following details of what he believes was a Black Kite over his garden at Lowthorpe, Southrey on July 2nd 2012.

Roy

'At approx. 1pm on the 2nd July 2012, I sighted a large black raptor flying across and down the garden, very low appox. 2 metres off the ground and I grabbed the binoculars. It was probably looking for one of our many garden rabbits.

We both realized immediately that it wasn’t a buzzard and I couldn’t see any white markings under the wings. What was noticeable to both of us was the pronounced forked tail and the large size. Also I thought there were slight white markings on top of wing near the body.

The bird did not hover or circle. It flew a little bit like a harrier intent on scanning the ground and carried on doing this for about a minute. When it reached the copse area of the garden it swooped upwards, being bothered by local magpies. Dark under markings visible at this point.'

Yes, certainly this description fits the bird of a Black Kite. And an all-black underwing is almost certainly a Black Kite. There are few other birds which would fit that description. However, Black Kites are not infact completely black, but dark gray. However, in the light of the 2nd July, I would say it is almost impossible to dinguish between black and dark grey.

Hope this confirms your suspicion.

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Alastair Carr

Where there is a will, there is a way....

I live outside Branston and had a very similar experience yesterday. The bird had a classic forked tail but nowhere near as pronounced as the Red. I got a couple of snatched photos that were really no more than silhouettes as the light was so poor and I had no time to adjust. I saw no white patches but lifting the shadowed areas in iPhoto lighter patches emerge. I was keen for it to be a Black as this area has had a regular bird over the last few summers - Nocton, Wasps Nest, Metheringham area. But sadly...........

Pronounced forked tail immediately rules out Black Kite. In my experience BKs tails almost always appear square cut

John

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Lincolnshire Birds https://www.flickr.com/photos/120340949 ... 8078912016
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Contact: recorder_north@lincsbirdclub.co.uk

Here's an apposite comment from an out of county birder received this morning:

Hi,
I'm not registered with the Lincs BC web site but couldn't help noticing a thread on a possible black kite. Would it be worth pointing out that moulting marsh harriers lose their central tail feathers, which would explain the flight being like a harrier and the all dark colour.
Don't know if that helps.
Alan Roberts

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Lincolnshire Birds https://www.flickr.com/photos/120340949 ... 8078912016
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Contact: recorder_north@lincsbirdclub.co.uk

Black kite has a different shape about it,the wings are diffrent the flight is different,how one can confuse the two when reasonable views are seen i dont know,..