A BIRD of prey enthusiast was thrilled to spot what he believes was a pair of red kites circling above Malvern Link.

Simon Moore, who lives in Malvern, spotted the birds soaring a couple of hundred feet up in the air on Friday, May 25.

“At first glance I thought they were buzzards, but I love my birds of prey and I could tell even from a distance what they were,” he said.

“It was fantastic to see them and very rare to see over this way. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a pair of the birds around here – the closest place that I’ve seen them before is on the way towards Wales.”

Rob Havard, conservation officer for Malvern Hills Conservators, said red kite sightings are rare in the area, probably occurring no more than three or four times a year.

“We are on the eastern range of the Welsh mountain red kite population and as a rule it tends to be young males looking for territories that come over this way, usually over the summer time,” he said.

“We know that there are breeding pairs in west Herefordshire, but none in Worcestershire that we know of. If ever there were to be a breeding pair in this county that would be a first for a very long time.”