The Japanese black kite

I am trying to make a cursory count of the number of bird species that we can observe from where we live. I say about ten, and my missus intercepts... thirty... no no... make that fifty... she adds...

Hmmm, one day, we shall list them all up and see. Among one of my top favorites, I'd say, is the Japanese pygmy woodpecker... they are small like sparrows and so cute...  I have been trying to photograph them but they are hopping here and there all the time... so, no luck so far... (please see photo here). But this post is about kites... Japanese black kites... I wonder they are called 'black' as they look more brown to me... These resident kites are aplenty over here.  They fly very low in the early mornings, right above our potager. This morning, I saw one of them picking up a twig from one of our vegetable beds.

They appear to be nesting nearby. When the winds blow, they are at their prettiest... wings fully opened, and just cruising gracefully... The picture above shows a female resting, barely ten meters from our house. It is the season of love for these birds, and on several occasions, the male comes along to mount the bird waiting on the beam...  and they merrily go 'pee‐hyor‐r‐r‐r'...

But too bad, I am always caught without my camera...