Red kite swoops on carrier bag as it floats in air

Now there’s plastic pollution in the SKY! Red kite swoops on carrier bag as it floats in the air after being dropped by a winged rival in stark glimpse of threat to rural Britain 

  • Pictures captured in Rowlands Gill, Tyne and Wear, known as ‘Red Kite Country’
  • Red kite dropped the plastic bag before it was caught by another bird mid-air 
  • Heartbreakimg images comes as the war on plastic pollution intensifies

As the war on the scourge of plastic pollution intensifies, a photographer has captured a haunting image of two red kites catching a carrier bag in the air. 

The pictures, taken near the heritage site of Derwent Valley, show one bird drop the bag before it is scooped up by another mid-air.  

Amateur Marcia Gain said it was ‘heartbreaking’ to see the impressive birds fighting over plastic in the picturesque countryside. 

A red kite swoops rapidly downwards to catch a falling plastic bag that had been dropped by a rival

The pictures - taken near the heritage site of Derwent Valley - show that the plastic pollution problem doesn't just effect urban areas

The pictures – taken near the heritage site of Derwent Valley – show that the plastic pollution problem doesn’t just effect urban areas

Daily Mail Turns The Tide On Plastic

The Daily Mail’s Turn The Tide On Plastic campaign has led calls for measures to stop the tide of waste that is poisoning the oceans. 

The newspaper has campaigned for plastic bags to be banished, the introduction of a plastic bottle deposit scheme, and action to be taken on the mountain of non-recyclable coffee cups blighting the country. 

Following the launch of the campaign in November, Theresa May has pledged to dramatically reduce plastic waste over the next 25 years. 

Earlier this month, the prime minister unveiled her proposals for a levy on all disposable packaging as part of her war on plastic. 

She also set out plans to extend the 5p levy on plastic carrier bags to smaller shops.  

The Mail has previously successfully campaigned for toxic plastic microbeads to be banned from cosmetic products.

The pictures show the plastic pollution problem is not limited only to urban areas.

Carer Marcia Gain said a red kite had dropped the bag when another predator decided to go for the steal.

The incredible pictures were taken in the village of Rowlands Gill, in Tyne and Wear, known locally as ‘Red Kite Country’.

The 54-year-old amateur photographer from Stanley, County Durham, said: ‘I came to this place as red kites are often seen flying overhead, this place is known locally as ‘Red Kite Country’.

‘I was standing in front of some houses when I took the shots so I wasn’t that far away from where they were.

‘They would have been about 40 metres high when I took these shots. 

‘As far as I can tell the bag was empty.

‘The bird wasn’t dropping and catching the bag, another one had dropped it and that’s when it snatched it.

‘I felt excited taking the photos as these are stunning birds and the colours are beautiful in good light.

‘After I saw the bird with the plastic bag, I was fairly angry and wanted to try to use these photos to highlight how wildlife comes into contact with plastic, as I know it’s really being highlighted at the moment.

The incredible pictures were taken in the village of Rowlands Gill, in Tyne and Wear, known locally as 'Red Kite Country'

The incredible pictures were taken in the village of Rowlands Gill, in Tyne and Wear, known locally as ‘Red Kite Country’

The bird smoothly snatches the empty bag in mid air with its talons as if it were prey

The bird smoothly snatches the empty bag in mid air with its talons as if it were prey

‘I have been told by a warden in the Derwent Valley that it could have been taking the plastic as nesting material, they’ve been known to even have a teddy bear in a nest locally.

‘The birds hunt locally and I believe they are fed by some of the locals as you can watch them diving out of sight into people’s gardens but cannot say for certain where the plastic bag came from.

‘I was watching the birds for about half an hour in total, they then head back to the valley.’

BREAK THE PLASTIC HABIT! JOIN THE DAILY MAIL’S CAMPAIGN

Ten years ago, the Mail launched a trailblazing campaign to rid Britain of the scourge of plastic supermarket bags — prompted by a heartrending, shaming picture of an endangered turtle entangled in one, which was used on the front page.

The success of our Banish The Bags initiative has been nothing short of phenomenal.   

Now, in a landmark series that could have just as big an impact as that front page a decade ago, we’re here to assure you that you really can make a difference — and your actions can help save our beautiful world and its animals. 

The Mail’s Turn The Tide On Plastic campaign isn’t intended to make you feel guilty about plastic you depend on. Instead, this series will guide you through small daily steps you can take — with little expense or effort — to make dramatic inroads into reducing the amount of plastic you use.   

Even simply changing one habit — such as using the reusable coffee cup we’re giving away today, instead of a throwaway cup — will help decrease the demand for new plastics. If every Daily Mail reader uses their cup just once a day in place of a takeaway cup, millions of plastic-lined paper cups will be saved from landfill in a year.

It’s simple maths. Use a plastic bag twice and you halve your plastic footprint. Buy one bar of soap and you may spare the planet two or even three pump-action hand wash bottles. Inspire someone else and the impact is doubled.

We’ll tell you how to double your recycling efficiency overnight, banish plastic from your kitchen and dodge food packaging. Better yet, you can even shop to save the planet with gorgeous — and reusable — plastic alternatives.

It’s never too late to start… 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk