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The red kite was hunted to the brink of extinction in Scotland in the 1800s but has made a strong comeback.
The reintroduction of this scavenger bird began on the Black Isle in the Inner Moray Firth, where, between 1989 and 1993, conservation groups brought 93 young red kites from Sweden to Scotland.
In 1992, a pair successfully raised a chick, and since then, despite occasional illegal persecution, the red kite population has continued to grow steadily.
And you can witness these magnificent birds first-hand in Galloway, Scotland.
Red Kite Feeding Station Scotland
The Red Kite Feeding Station in Galloway is one of around six in the UK, located across Wales and Scotland.
Bellymack Hill Farm is the location of the feeding station in Galloway, located a few miles to the west of Castle Douglas, where the red kites are fed daily at 2 pm.
What can you expect when the birds are fed?
Lots of red kites and a brief from the friendly staff about the birds.
It’s difficult to estimate the number of birds that come to feed, but you can hear their distinctive high-pitched whistling sound as they begin to circle the feeding station beforehand.
Although it can be tricky to count the birds, there’s no doubt you’ll see plenty.
You’ll be well entertained for 30 to 40 minutes as they circle overhead and dive with remarkable agility to snatch food.
During the briefing, it’s suggested that some red kites travel from as far as 15 miles away to take part in the feeding.
It’s a truly impressive spectacle, and, without doubt, excellent value for money.
What Else Is There?
The centre is bigger than expected and has the following available on site:
- Outdoor seating area to watch the birds
- A hide
- Toilet
- Food and drink are available for purchase
- A nature walk
The red kite feeding station is also dog-friendly!
Visitor Information
📍 Bellymack Hill Farm, Laurieston, Castle Douglas, DG7 2PJ
💷 £7.50 adults, under 16s are free
🌍 facebook.com/redkitefeedingstationlaurieston
🌍 gallowaykitetrail.com/feeding-station-i38
🕙 Open from 12 pm to 4 pm, feeding at 2 pm, closed on Mondays.
📞 07733 267210
Red Kite Photography
I am by no means a wildlife photographer, and I must say—it isn’t easy to photograph red kites at the feeding station—they are fast!
Armed with my Fujifilm X-T5 and 50-140mm lens, I gave it my best shot.
Fujifilm has never been known for its autofocus capabilities, but it did a commendable job.
I don’t often use the autocofus subject detection modes, but I decided to give the ‘Bird’ option a try.
The red kites fly pretty fast, so when I managed to keep them in the viewfinder, the autofocus picked them up nicely.
The 50-140mm (70-200 full-frame equivalent) didn’t provide enough reach, which was my biggest problem, and meant the imagery required some heavy cropping in post-processing.
Although it was satisfactory, I’d have liked a longer lens to fill the frame a little better.
My camping buddy, Dek, had a Canon R5 and a 100-500mm lens with him, which gave far better reach than I could achieve on the 50-140.
So, if you plan on shooting the red kites when you visit the feeding station, here are some tips:
- Select ‘Bird’ in autofocus subject detection settings
- 1000/sec shutter speed or above to freeze their flight
- Manual exposure to avoid the camera being fooled by the bright sky or dark background
- Focal length above 200mm
Finally, here is a selection of our photographs from our visit to the Red Kite Feeding Station.
The ones shot on Canon are labelled so.
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