Mississippi Kites are not often spotted in Winnebago County, Illinois, so when I (Veery) and Dakota received a phone call that one was only a few miles away, we jumped at the chance. Grabbing the Birdfreak Cannon and the two cousins (Sammie and Allison) we set off in the hopes of gaining a life bird.
The sighting was at a nearby elementary school and we met up some other birders to look for the kite. Within minutes we saw people pointing and there it was, soaring overhead. It came low enough for us to see it in detail and even six-year old Allison got a good look.
It was like a mini block party, with over a dozen people (including some non-birders) hanging out in the streets, watching as a second Mississippi Kite came soaring on by. It was as if the pair was putting on a show just for our benefit.
Unfortunately Birdfreak (Eddie) was stuck at work as we added #239 to the Photo Life List, but it was quite exciting, especially for the young kids, to see a new species.
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I love these. We have some not far from my house. The other day I saw 4 or 5 swallow tailed kites lazily soaring around a purple martin house in our town. Wish I’d had my camera!
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Nice bird. Spotted one few years ago in …. Costa Rica !.
Hi Veery – too bad Birdfreak didn’t get the opportunity. Maybe he will get the chance this weekend. I just commented on Dakota’s blog. These birds fascinate me – their ability to hover in mid-air. I saw my first kite (white-tailed) just last year at the Monterey Bay Birding Festival. I do hope to see a couple more this year when I attend.
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