We’ve had two young Black-shouldered Kites fledge just recently.
They are still learning the Black-shouldered Kite Play Book and being fed by the male.
However they have developed all the skills to successfully hunt for mice and spend quite a bit of time over the paddocks, holding a position hovering, learning to parachute down with wings held high, and how to drop the legs as they enter the grasses. Just at this stage they weren’t quite mastering the take-away food skill.
This young one had been out in the paddock polishing up its hovering skills, and little wings get a bit tired and it decided to take a break by landing on the fence-line.
Time to turn to page 122 in the Play Book and learn that you don’t land in a Australian Magpie territory, where they too are schooling up their young in the fine arts of finding their own food and territory defence against all comers.
The little Kite was so intent on finding a fine, safe, secure post to rest on that it didn’t at first note the stealth-hunter rising from the grass in full cry.
In the end it crossed the road and rested on the neutral territory of the gate.
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST 