The preferred habitat of the Red Kite
Yesterday I had some work to do in Tórshavn which provided me with the opportunity to do some birding. In the plantation I found a flock of 10+ Redpolls including a very pale bird. But it never provided good views, so it remains unidentified. I called Rodmund to tell him about the putative Arctic Redpoll and of course we talked about the White-tailed eagle and the Red Kite seen earlier.
Gásadalur
I had checked most of the obvious areas with no result, so jokingly I suggested that both birds might be in Gásadalur on the island of Vágar where Rodmund lives. As I arrived back home after driving to the capital and back to Hvannasund Rodmund called me.
Red Kite
Red Kite
I’ve just found the Red Kite in Gásadalur he told me. From Hvannasund to Gásadalur there are 105 km. Almost the longest distance that you can drive by car on the Faroes (east to west). I jumped into the car and after 1½ hour I arrived in Sørvágur and picked up Rodmund before going the final miles to Gásadalur.
Upon arrival we found the Red Kite right away as it flew into the valley. We only saw it for about 10 seconds and it didn’t show again until dusk.
I was kinda unhappy with the views obtained so after enjoying a good meal at Rodmunds place I crashed at Januses place in Sandavágur. Janus is the head of the Museum of Natural History on the Faroes.
Skerpikjøt at Rodmund’s place
After enjoying a cosy evening and morning with Janus I returned to Gásadalur. After less than an hour the Red Kite turned up. I phoned Rodmund and soon he arrived with coffee and newly baked danish… Surely a friend in need giving the cold snowy conditions.
Coffee in the snow
Rodmund and I after seeing the Red Kite
Coffee and Rodmund
The Red Kite seemed to fancy the steep cliffs close to the village and as we sad and had our coffee it suddenly arrived giving exceptional views. It was foraging along the cliffs below us for at least 15 minutes. Truly a stunning experience.
Red Kite
Red Kite
Red Kite
After scrutinizing the pictures it looks like the bird seen on the 30th of March at Velbastaður is in deed a different bird than the bird in Gásadalur (the Velbastaður bird had a broken primary feather and was worn differently). This makes the Gásadalur bird the 3rd record for the Faroes.
Silas
Birdingfaroes 