Images of kites flying

Red Kites circle in a thermal at feeding time as tractor distributes meat over the picturesque Welsh countryside

The majesterial bird of prey hunts on the wing and has an enormous two-metre wingspan

'The Red Kites were already circling but suddenly they were encapsulated by the rainbow and its colours. It was so vivid.'

Barely believing his luck, Drew was quick to take some photos before the rainbow simply faded away. But avid fans of his work have been quick to congratulate him on his breathtaking pictures celebrating Britain's wildlife and our mercurial weather patterns.

'I've had great feedback on my Facebook page and on Twitter. It's such a unique shot, ' said Drew.

Drew Buckley said the weather changed suddenly from torrential rain to brilliant sunshine as the Red Kites circled above

'As a photographer, you're always trying to do something differently. On this particular day the weather was so changeable, but 2pm in the winter is a good time for afternoon light.

'Bang on feeding time, it was raining and sunny both at the same time. I was tracking the Red Kites soaring as the tractor came out with scraps of meat, and then the red Kites crossed the rainbow and I took the shot. I took about 50 shots in all, but the rainbow didn't last very long, and suddenly there was a buzzard in the shot as well. The great thing as that there was a really vivid rainbow against some pretty neutral colours, but I was pretty confident that there were some shots I could use.'

Red Kites are unmistakable with their reddish-brown bodies, angled wings and deeply forked tails. They were saved from national extinction by one of the world's longest running protection programmes, and have now been successfully re-introduced to our shores.

Somewhere over the rainbow - Red Kites fly high in the skies in Wales

With a wingspan of nearly two metres (about five-and-a-half-feet), but a relatively small body weight of 2 - 3 lbs, they are incredibly agile, and stun onlookers by staying in the air for many hours with hardly a beat of their wings.

Kites hunt on the wing, soaring and circling over open ground. They are mainly carrion eaters, but are quite capable of killing small mammals and birds.

Road-casualty pheasants, rabbits and squirrels form an important part of the diet of the reintroduced kites in England.

LET'S GO FLY WITH KITES

A Red Kite in flight, hovering for food -the birds have a huge wing span of two metres

Red Kites are predators and take a wide variety of live prey, ranging from earthworms to small mammals.

They usually breed for the first time at two or three-years-old and usually pair for life.

Courtship and nest-building start in March, about 2-4 weeks before the first egg is laid.

Sibling aggression is common and the larger chick will peck vigorously at its younger nest-mates if they attempt to get food before it has had its fill.

Persecution meant that the bird was exterminated in England, Scotland and most of Wales by the end of the last century.

Only in rural Mid Wales did Red Kites hang on, their numbers down to just a few pairs.

Total world population is estimated at around 20, 000-23, 000 breeding pairs.

Shakespeare makes several references to Kites, such as Autolycus, in The Winter's Tale, warning that when the Kite builds, look to lesser linen. This is a reference to the thieving habits of nest-building kites.

Kites hunt on the wing, soaring and circling over open ground.

Road-casualty pheasants, rabbits and squirrels form an important part of the diet.

Old English names for the Kite range from puttock to gled and glead; a number of place names, such as Gleadthorpe in Northamptonshire and Gledehill in Yorkshire, are reminders of these names.