Red Kites.

I decided on Friday morning to give my usual haunts a miss and go further afield for a change so I headed to the Chilterns to have a go and getting some decent shots of one of my favourite birds the Red Kite.

There are a few decent places to see the Kites in the Chilterns but I headed to my favourite spot Watlington Common which is not far from J6 on the M40.Here, unlike Grigrin Farm in Wales, the birds are not fed and have not got wing tags which I much prefer.I arrived at 10.15AM to find an empty car park and straight away had two incidents.

Firstly as I got out the car I realised I'd forgotten to put my boots on and was still in my house shoes which were not much better than slippers.What a burk!!!! specially as earlier in the week I'd forgotten to put the battery in the camera.I'm going downhill fast.

Secondly two cars arrived in quick succession.From the first emerged a large Dobberman who immediately homed in on me and whilst it hesitated over which part of me to eat 2 Alsatians leapt out the back of the second car.It was like walking round a zoo with the cages open.Luckily all the dogs were soon grabbed by their owners and leads securely attached.

A quick walk through the woods and you are onto the common and what a cracking place it is with spectacular views over the countryside.There are lots of small woods and scrubland there to see birds other than the Kites but you really go there for the Kites.I usually walk around the common but all you need to do is to plonk yourself down and wait for them to float by sometimes only a few feet above your head.Some shots below click on them to enlarge.

When I left for home I had to drive through the small town of Watlington because of the one way system.It was a little jammed in the High street and whilst waiting for the traffic to move I noticed a Red Kite slowly drifting down the road at low level.The locals took no notice at all because they are used to them.What a difference a few miles make!!!!