[TN-Bird] Swallow-tailed Kite report (Greene Co., TN)

August 25, 2008

This evening I received a compelling report of a recent Swallow-tailed Kite 
sighting in Greene County.

The bird was seen on Saturday, August 23, by Salome Myers, a resident of 
western Greene County.  She offered me a very detailed account of her 
experience, which I paraphrase as follows--

She was driving along the Horton Highway near its intersection with Smith Lane 
(near the community of Romeo) at about 1:00 in the afternoon when she saw a 
bird in the air ahead that "looked like a hawk."  As she approached, it began 
somewhat to resemble "a gull, with a lot of light color."  A short while later, 
at the intersection of the two roads, she observed it from directly beneath and 
was able to note its strikng shape and black-and-white pattern.  During the 
encounter, the bird was moving "toward Greeneville" [i.e., to the southeast].  
It soon disappeared.   

When she got home a little while later, she consulted a field guide and found a 
match to Swallow-tailed Kite but was puzzled by the fact that the range map 
didn't fit with northeast Tennessee.  She then contacted a birder friend in 
Pennsylvania, who pointed out to her that Swallow-tailed Kites wander widely 
from the breeding grounds and have been seen in Pennsylvania and other northern 
states.  She also consulted Virginia Williams, a longtime member of the 
Greeneville chapter of TOS.  Virginia offered similar information and suggested 
that Salome contact me.

I offered additional info about Swallow-tailed Kite sightings in Greene and 
Washington Counties in 2006 and 2007, respectively, pointing out that these 
sightings occurred in August.  I also asked her if she would mind if I posted 
an account of her experience on our local list serves.  She graciously agreed.  

Area birders should continue to be on the lookout for Swallow-tailed Kites.  
This is definitely a likely time for them to appear.

Many thanks to Salome Myers for taking the time to share her recent observation 
with us.

Don Miller
Greeneville, Greene Co., TN  

   
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