An adult Mississippi Kite was spotted and watched for about 15 minutes over a
Thoroughgood address near Bayville Park in Virginia Beach this afternoon from
about 12:50 to 1:10pm until it was no longer spotted above the trees. Three
observers had excellent close looks with binoculars and could see all the field
marks well as the bird flew low and kited above the courtyard in and out of
sight for about twenty minutes. There is the possibility of a second bird that
may have been seen flying into the top of a tall thick pine but not spotted
again. We had been watching birds as we talked in the driveway and noticed that
the ample bird activity came to an abrupt halt. Being birders, we of course
began watching for some sort of raptor to appear to explain the sudden quiet.
We noticed the Kite right away with its pointy wings, flared tail, grey overall
appearance, black tail, and white (patches) secondaries evident on the top back
of the wing view as it banked to maneuver into a turn. Our identification was
aided by the fact that we had seen a Mississippi Kite in this same area on June
9, 2014. Been watching for a second sighting. Keep your eyes open!
Tracy Tate
Farimae Tate
Andy Tate
Virginia Beach VA 23455
