A hobbyist photographer based in Oxfordshire managed to photograph a raptor gripping a Greggs sausage roll in its feet.

Mark Hopkins captured the image of the hungry red kite during the warm weekend conditions.

He was shooting photographs in his garden in Ruscote, located in Banbury, when the large kite flew overhead.

Multiple images showed the bird transporting what looked like a fresh sausage roll in its enormous talons.

The 57-year-old fabricator explained that red kites frequently fly over the area, but this particular sighting was unprecedented. One substantial red kite turned upward in front of him while clearly carrying something in its feet. Initially uncertain what the object was, examination of the camera images made it apparent it was a sausage roll. Whether the bird had snatched it from someone’s grip or found it on the ground remains unclear, though it did appear fresh. Witnessing such a scene was extraordinary, and he expressed satisfaction at having his camera prepared at the appropriate moment.

Approximately 4,000 to 6,000 breeding pairs of red kites are estimated to exist throughout the United Kingdom, with growing populations establishing themselves in towns and cities.

A representative from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust noted that red kites were once viewed as a danger to game birds and household pets, leading to widespread hunting that nearly wiped them out in Britain. Now classified as a protected species, the population has bounced back following multiple reintroduction programmes, and the birds can be observed across numerous locations throughout the country. Rather than hunting primarily for sustenance, red kites are predominantly scavengers, favouring discarded food and small creatures such as rabbits. Their distinctive mewing calls are another way to identify them.