Vocal Voices

Going down the Brum for the meet I had a while to wait and then the coach was late, so I went for a walk. Just as I got back to the bus station entrance I noticed two red kites flying over a building. The were hovering, swooping, gliding, feinting a dive and then back to hovering again. I stood there for a good few minutes mesmerised by their antics.

As I turned to go into the station I accidentally bumped into a local enforcement officer:

"Sorry, I was looking at the rooftops, it's no wonder they call them red Red "Kites".
"That's what they are."
"I know, Red Kites."
"No, just kites."
"Eh?"
"If you look closely you can see the tethers. They are 'kite' kites."
"Oh **** I am losing it big time."
"Some people call them bird scarers...."

In my defence they were extremely lifelike.... from a distance.

that story does make me giggle - so the thing I'd be doing

Love it!

Actually, I wouldn't have immediately discounted a red kite sighting - they have been seen on the edges of the city (Kingsbury Lakes, Tamworth way) and also lone sightings in the Selly Oak / Weoley Castle areas in recent years.

Someone reported a flight of 4 red kites over Gillingham here the other day, on the town Facebook page. Fat chance! There aren't any in this area. They were probably kestrels, which are reasonably common up on the Chase.

Ossie, it was Leeds. There was a Red Kite breeding programme at Harewood House just north of Leeds. They are now quite common over woodlands and parks right into the city centre, so to see a couple there did not surprise me.... well, not till I knew the truth.

LOL, sorry, didn't realise it was Leeds!

Presumably you've seen them, then, (the real thing, that is) ...

Made me giggle again

TheOstrich wrote:Presumably you've seen them, then, (the real thing, that is) ...

Loads of them. I live right next to a cemetery and they are always swooping about, well, they are scavengers and like a bit of carrion.