Black Kite - Blenheim.

Bird sighting information. Use this forum to report bird sightings (especially rare and unusual birds), census and field count results, and trip reports. Messages posted to this forum will also be sent as a plain text email to the BIRDING-NZ newsgroup.
User avatar
Steve Wood
Posts: 382
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:57 pm

Black Kite - Blenheim.

Postby Steve Wood » Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:29 pm

Just a quick update to say the bird was still present on Friday the 10th Nov. around midday usual spot, near the stand of Gum trees.

Steve
RandF
Posts: 86
Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2009 7:07 pm

Re: Black Kite - Blenheim.

Postby RandF » Tue Nov 14, 2017 10:43 am

Where exactly is this Steve?
Cheers
--
Richard Hurt
User avatar
Steve Wood
Posts: 382
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:57 pm

Re: Black Kite - Blenheim.

Postby Steve Wood » Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:36 pm

Hi Richard,
It's in the Waihopai valley rd. Blenheim follow down the rd until you come to a large stand of Gum trees on your right, (about a mile or two) .
It is usually soaring above the small foot hill at the end of the row of Gums.

Steve
RandF
Posts: 86
Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2009 7:07 pm

Re: Black Kite - Blenheim.

Postby RandF » Tue Nov 14, 2017 10:39 pm

Thanks Steve. Have looked there on previous visits but have dipped each time! Another trip coming up it seems! Cheers
--
Richard Hurt
Wandoona
Posts: 72
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2016 4:11 pm

Re: Black Kite - Blenheim.

Postby Wandoona » Wed Nov 15, 2017 5:55 pm

Present today at 330 pm at that site Flew over to the cliffs and disappeared.
User avatar
sav
Posts: 929
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:49 am
Location: Havelock North
Contact:

Re: Black Kite - Blenheim.

Postby sav » Tue Dec 12, 2017 5:49 pm

Hi all,

It performed well this afternoon at about 4.30 - almost over the road.

cheers
Sav Saville
Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ
Great Birds, Real Birders
User avatar
kengeorge
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:38 pm
Location: Golden Bay

Re: Black Kite - Blenheim.

Postby kengeorge » Sat Dec 23, 2017 9:23 am

The kite is relatively easy to see, being in the right place (about halfway between the row of old eucalypts and the Johnson estate gates) and just waiting. I was there about 7.00pm on the 21st Dec and then again about 8.00am the next morning, both times the kite was present and seen within 15 minutes of me being there. It seems to do a clockwise circuit, part of which will take it right over the road (the road bisects the circuit) sometimes less than a 100 meters up. On one of the circuits it came right down to almost road level, what a beautiful bird to see. A lot darker than I was expecting from the photos of the same bird online, doesn't look anywhere near as old and 'bleached' as in some of the photos, or indeed as you'd expect from it's great age (ie like an old harrier bleaches). Given that it's been observed regularly since at least 1992, and as an adult then, it must be upwards of 25 years old, making it one of the oldest black kites in the world. Well worth the trip to the Waihopai Valley for a look if you're in the area this summer.
No_03a.jpg
No_03a.jpg (234.97 KiB) Viewed 2339 times
No_02a.jpg
No_02a.jpg (211.43 KiB) Viewed 2339 times

Return to “Bird Sightings and Alerts”