FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Re: A Raptor Visitation in Greene Co., TN - retraction/revision

[dnldhlt@xxxxxxx]

Regarding my possible Kite sighting of May 12, my exercise in self-doubt 
continues.  Having finally had the opportunity to review several guides other 
than Sibley's, I found out that Mississippi Kites sometimes appear to be 
somewhat fork-tailed.
     What I saw would better fit Mississippi Kite than Swallow-tailed.  I had 
assumed that first year plumage or moulting of outer tail feathers in 
Swallow-tailed Kites would explain the less elongated outer tail feathers of 
the bird I saw, but the illustrations of young Swallow-tailed Kites I found 
were still not quite like what I saw.  The fork proportions on the bird I saw 
were similar to, or slightly more deeply forked than, what is shown on the 
illustration on Plate 6 c, page 29, of Hawks of North America Second Edition by 
William S. Clark / Brian K. Wheeler, but my angle of view was quartering behind 
and below.
     Also, the bird seemed dark near the eye, a detail I had passed off as a 
shadow of the beak, but which makes more sense as the facial pattern on a 
Mississippi Kite.  The angle I had on the face is closely matched in the 
photograph on Plate 96, page 116 of Raptors of Eastern North America by Brian 
K. Wheeler.
     I did not feel that I could accurately determine the exact shade of 
white/gray on the bird, due to the low angle and yellowish color of the 
sunlight, but the color did seem to fade toward a lighter shade towards the 
head.
     I had nothing to refer to for a precise size comparison, as the Peregrine 
Falcon above it was so much farther away.
   Identifying a new and unfamiliar species is such an interesting and 
enjoyable process.  Sometimes the "obvious" just doesn't feel right.  All in 
all, I am much more confident of my identification of the bird as an adult 
Mississippi Kite.  
 
Don Holt
Johnson City, TN
 
-----Original Message-----
From: dnldhlt@xxxxxxx
To: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Fri, 13 May 2005 00:01:18 -0400
Subject: [Bristol-Birds] A Raptor Visitation in Greene Co., TN 

THU 12 MAY 2005
Clyde Austin 4-H Center, Greene Co., TN
D. Holt
 
A little after 6:30 pm I was listening to a WILSON'S WARBLER on the back forty 
when I looked up through a large hole in the forest canopy and saw a raptor 
soaring.  It was a PEREGRINE FALCON, its body looking quite chunky, its wings 
pointed, and its tail spread.  Through my 8X32 Eagleoptics Rangers I could just 
make out a hint of face pattern, but not in any detail.
     Then another large raptor soared in beneath it, at about 3X canopy height, 
with a light head and body and wing linings, but dark flight feathers and tail. 
 
The wings were long and pointed, and the tail was evenly and markedly forked.  
I 
saw it for just a second or two as it soared over the canopy opening, then it 
was behind the trees and headed into the sun.
     You could have knocked me over with a feather.  I have only seen a 
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE well once before, but not from below like this, so I double 
checked my eastern Sibley's (all I had with me at work), looking for any 
similar 
suspects.  Even after my exercise in self-doubt, I remain convinced of the 
obvious.
     I was having a good birding day even before this last hurrah. Some of the 
other species I most enjoyed seeing and hearing today were:
Northern Bobwhite
Green Heron
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-headed Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Swainson's Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Orchard Oriole
 
Don Holt
Johnson City, TN
 

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       BRISTOL BIRDS NET LIST
Bristol Birds Net Photo Gallery located at:
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jwcoffeyy/album?.dir=/efd5

This is a regional birding list sponsored by the
Bristol Bird Club to facilitate communications 
between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia
and Northeast Tennessee.  
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         wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
           (423)764-****