Early on Monday morning it was seen flying North-west towards Liverpool, across the fields. Unfortunately, it didn't hang around but it does show that it is worth checking local birds more closely.

Red Kites were extinct in England, with a very small population of sedentary birds hanging on in mid-Wales. English Nature, RSPB and other bodies began an introduction programme in 1989. Breeding populations have now been successfully established in the Chilterns, Northamptonshire, Yorkshire, Cleveland, as well as around Inverness, Stirling, Dumfries and Galloway.

Many of these birds are quite mobile, especially when the young disperse from their natal territory. In recent times, small numbers have been seen in Cheshire, especially in Winter and early Spring. About the same size as the buzzard, red kites have longer, more angled wings and the long tail is forked. It is brownish above but more rusty below, with a pale greyish head. The large white patch in the wing is very distinctive. As it flies, it often flexes its red tail and it was this feature that caught my attention on Monday.