[TN-Bird] MISSISSIPPI KITE Maury Co. + shorebirds

Today, Thursday 8/24/2006, at about 12:00 noon I spotted an adult  
Mississippi Kite soaring near the Roger's Bend Road Hogwallow in  
northwestern Maury County (between highways 50 and 7 northwest of  
Columbia).  The bird was backlit and 100+ meters away, but the look  
was plenty adequate for an ID.  When I first spotted a long-tailed,  
long-winged raptor soaring to my south (hence the backlight) my  
instant thought was that it was an earlier Harrier transient.  As  
soon as I got my binoculars on it, I realized it was a Mississippi  
Kite.  The notes I scribbled at the time read: "Long, narrow, pointy  
wings.  Long square-notched tail, uniform dark gray with no bands.   
Plain gray above, glowing pale  head, graceful buoyant kite-like  
sailing" along with a sketch of its silhouette.  To elaborate on  
these, I mostly saw the bird from below, but it banked twice  
revealing its plain gray upperside and dark, unbanded tail.  I could  
not clearly make out the white tips on the secondaries because of the  
angle of the light and resulting sheen.  The pale silvery-gray head  
was very obvious whenever the bird sailed towards me.  I don't think  
it ever flapped, just floating on the air like a feather.  It sailed  
off and out of sight towards the east.  It seems unlikely the bird  
would stay in that specific area very long during this season of post- 
breeding wandering.  But just in case, directions:

West from Columbia on US50, 0.1 mile past the bypass, turn right on  
Monsanto road.  Follow (many curves) until it comes to T (about 4  
miles), go right on Roger's Bend Road.  Hogwallow is 1.25 miles ahead  
on the left (can't miss it).

Is this a review species in Middle Tennessee?

Totals for the day, waterfowl, raptors, waders, shorebirds, etc.; all  
ducks in eclipse:

Solutia property + Rogers Bend Road 11:14 a.m.-12:05 p.m.

Canada Goose  10
Wood Duck  1
Double-crested Cormorant  3
Great Blue Heron  4
Great Egret  1
Turkey Vulture  1
Mississippi Kite  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Killdeer  18
Least Sandpiper  3
Semipalmated Sandpiper  1

Arrow Lake (southwestern Maury County, south of Mt. Pleasant) 4:00  
p.m. - 4:25 p.m.

Canada Goose  81
Wood Duck  6
Mallard  15
Blue-winged Teal  33
Great Blue Heron  6
Great Egret  2
Turkey Vulture  5
Killdeer  25
Solitary Sandpiper  4
Lesser Yellowlegs  2
Pectoral Sandpiper  20
Least Sandpiper  1

Bill Pulliam
Hohenwald TN
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