Good Birding
John Habig
261 Lantis Dr.
Carlisle, OH 45005
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-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Bill Whan
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2007 4:40 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Ohio-birds] Mississippi kite hints
I've heard on the front and back channels from a number of folks
who've
succeeded, with patience, in seeing a Mississippi kite at the Logan
site.
Adding this to anecdotal evidence from the staff at the golf course,
here are some extra hints.
Chances of seeing a kite up in the open sky increase as the day
warms
up; some veteran golfers say after 5 pm is when they've usually seen it;
but they are not such veterans as to play all day, and maybe this is
just when more folks golf! But it makes sense that insect prey at least
would be higher later in the day. Mississippis are distinctive overhead:
look for that dinky outer primary on narrow wings!
Conversely, early in the day you may be more likely to see a
kite
perched in the open; as raptors, they are likely to choose high, dead
branches so they can survey their surroundings. Kites are also
especially fond of "sunning,"--perching high in a tree (not necessarily
in bare branches) to spread their wings fairly early in the morning--we
saw ours sunning luxuriantly about 8 am on a cloudless day.
More people have seen these birds in the afternoon than in the
morning,
but how many people get to Logan at dawn? Certainly a perched bird is
easier to study than a flying one, especially through a scope.
Finally, several people have wondered about the photos Troy was
kind
enough to post at http://www.flickr.com/photos/9131889@N07 ; the first
two look like different birds! Troy initially thought he'd seen two
flying, but we never thought while at the site that two birds might have
sneaked in and out there. Were we actually looking at the top of a nest
tree? Or are the photos merely records of different postures and light
conditions for a single bird? Have a look and see what you think.
If you go into the course (and renting a golf cart runs only
about ten
bucks (for two; maybe you have to pay for the front nine as well,
another sawbuck maybe, I dunno), here is where we saw the bird(s). A map
of the course is at http://www.brassringgolfclub.com/course.htm . Draw
a line between 2 and 17; then draw another straight up from 18; where
these lines cross, there is a circular graveled lot at the end of a very
steep cart track that comes up from 2. Look back downhill toward 2; on
the left side of the narrow fairway is a big oak on the edge of the
woods, maybe two feet in diameter. This is the tree in the photographs.
If there are two birds, they are probably nesting; the schedule,
the
habitat, the length of the stay, all suggest it. If there's a nest
somewhere, there'll be more evidence once the eggs hatch. Mississippi
kites are known to be kinda feisty around hatchlings, and we might hear
about golfers getting dive-bombed, in fact.
One more thing. Breeding bird atlasers are accustomed to
confirming
nesting when a species is observed carrying something---food, a fecal
sac, nesting material, or a gift for a mate--but kites are an exception.
Even unmated kites snack on the wing, poising a cicada with talons up
where they can munch on it in mid-flight. So try to discover exactly
what's being carried.
And good luck,
Bill Whan
Columbus
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______________________________________________________________________
Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
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Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
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