Six birders and a number of local neighbors showed up to look for and at the
kites in west Springfield today. I have a better count now as I saw the
sub-adult kite , reported by Bob Augustine, for the first time. Today we
saw three adults, including the one with the double wing molt; we saw the
sub-adult ;and we saw the juvenile, for a total of five birds. If one
includes the adult with the single wing molt seen few days ago, we have a
confirmed total of 6 Mississippi kites in that area. There was surely a
nest right there as the juvenile often returns to the same tree and the
adults regularly come there with cicadas to feed the juvenile. The birds
were very active at 4:30, by 5:15 as the clouds rolled in, they disappeared,
which is what I have observed with kites in the past. Everyone seemed to
enjoy the birds we saw.
--
Donald Sweig
Falls Church, Va.
