Going bird watching in the West Coast National Park is likely to ensure at least one sighting of a Black-Shouldered Kite and this is where I found this beautiful individual.  It is Southern Africa’s most widespread and successful raptor, dotted across the country side in monogamous pairs or singles. When you look at them from a distance you can see them bobbing their white tails up and down in a conversational territorial dance with each other, or close-up the most striking feature is the red eyes. These are the eyes that lock onto a mouse and the swift kestrel-like flight patterns enable it to hunt these small mammals expertly.