No.  I haven’t fallen off the planet.  But my photo database had developed a slight case of computer measels and its taken me the best part of the last couple of weeks to manage it back to life.
It all started…. but, let’s not go there.

Still been making photos but.
Here is a sequence from a morning with a Black-shouldered Kite hunting alongside the roadway.  For those who can navigate around the Western Treatment Plant this one is working along 29 Mile Road.

Interesting time at the WTP, the waders are all feeding and colouring up for their journey north to Siberia.  And all the nesting birds are now in winter preparation.
Which means the Black-shouldered Kites among others have come down to keep the mouse population from exploding to epic proportions.  And if this bird is anything to go by, then the mice are well and truly under control.

I’ve heard it said that on average the success rate for a hunting bird is one strike in about 10-15 attempts.  This bird (I haven’t named it yet), obviously never read the fine print, and in the hour or so we shared, it hunted 4 times and took 3 mice.

It also seems quite content around us mere humans and has allowed both close approaches, and has made its own close approaches.  Add to that some fine sunshine, a small breeze to give it some lift and what better way to while away a few hours in the morning.

Enjoy