Late evening raptors

Sunday 9th June Cold, dull and strong northerly wind again today. I spent several hours wandering local woods this afternoon just trying to keep out the biting wind. Very little to see, but some lovely bird songs, including Blackcaps, Garden WArblers, Chiffchaffs, Willow WArblers and a Nightingale gave a few short bursts late afternoon. This evening I took a trip up to the road running from Faversham to Selling, hoping to connect with the Black Kite that had been hanging around all day. By the time I arrived it was already about 7:20pm, and I didn't hold much hope of it taking flight as the air was cold and the wind still howling. When I arrived there were a couple of birders looking, but no reports for nearly an hour, but at least I knew roughly where to look. One chap left and another couple arrived, and just as most of us were thinking about giving up I picked out a large raptor very distantly low over some trees, and soon we were all enjoying the kite as it drifted back and forth over the fields, then soaring high above the tree line, before dropping down out of sight again. Other birds seen during the half our or so we were there were Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Hobby and a Kestrel. So today wasn't so dull afterall.