Have now spent well over 20 hours observing and photographing the two adult
MISSISSIPPI KITE in Southside VA. On Saturday the male was observed
throughout the day, either patrolling, gathering food and disappearing into
canopy of trees on west side of road, perching to preen and sun. The adult
female was observed briefly only a few times, each time for maybe 1 minute
at most, circling over canopy of trees gathering food.
The adult male seems to have two favorite perches near the road.
Today I was down there and unlike the previous visits when the adult male
was observed throughout the day, usually perched atop a snag, today it made
only a few brief appearances. Instead of perching for extended periods, it
was found perched for less than 5 minutes during the morning. When it was
seen, it seemed busy catching flying insects on the wing and then quickly
disappearing. Twice I managed to see it nosedive into trees further back on
west side of road, the same area where the two kites were seen diving and
disappearing three weeks ago. A third kite, possibly a subadult, appeared
late morning during brief appearance of the adult male. After a few
passes and stoops onto the adult male, it disappeared heading SW high in the
sky.
After gathering insects the two adult kites were observed returning to the
same area approximately 100 yards from road on west side, nose-diving into
the trees.
Link below to few pictures of the adult male and a female Summer Tanager
making brief appearance long enough to snap a few photos.
Mississippi Kite:
http://www.birdsofvirginia.com/image_links/MississippiKite-9_link
http://www.birdsofvirginia.com/image_links/MississippiKite-10_link.htm
Summer Tanager:
http://www.birdsofvirginia.com/Gallery_pages/SummerTanager_Gallery.htm
Brenda Tekin
Charlottesville, VA
brenda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Leave behind what you find; if you must take something, take pictures."
Photo journal including Birds of Virginia: www.birdsofvirginia.com
<http://www.birdsofvirginia.com>
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