Taken for granted...

A couple of weekends ago I saw something I'd never thought I'd ever see - but unbelievably I failed to appreciate its value. Walking with friends in the countryside of the Elham valley, we saw a red kite soaring above us. I'd heard various reports of red kite sightings in Kent over the last few years, but this was the first time. How times have changed.

Back in the 1980s the red kite was on the verge of extinction in Britain with just a handfuls of pairs left in mid-Wales. Thankfully the RSPB began a breeding programme which has helped the kite return in healthy numbers.

In 1990 we stayed on a mid-Wales farm for a holiday. In that week we managed to get a fleeting glimpse of one bird. However, these days they're such a common sight on our returns to the same location that sighting one over Kent didn't have the impact on me (at the time) that it should have.

Thnakfully, that evening, as I wrote up the details of our walk, I appreciated the value of what we'd witnessed that day.

The photos on this page were all taken in Wales over the past five years.