Red Kite

"Red Kite - Gigrin Farm" by Tim Felce (Airwolfhound) - Red Kite - Gigrin Farm. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons

I had to finish off my trio of birds from my recent trip to the Wessex Downs with the Red Kite, Milvus milvus. This magnificent bird is recolonising the country after near extinction save for a small area of central Wales centred around Gigrin Farm where this bird was photographed (and no doubt fed).
They remind me a little of Marsh Harriers with their striking wing markings and gliding habit of tail-twisting. In medieval times they kept the streets clean of carrion, helping to reduce the risk of water pollution and other sequelae of putrefaction.