One of the Mississippi Kits put in an appearance between 4:00 and 4:30
pm yesterday afternoon, 06/28/08, south of Logan at the Brass Ring Gold
Course.  After starting the day well before dawn in Adams County at
Copas and Beasley Fork Roads, where I heard one Whip-poor-will and one
Chuck-will's Widow I made my way over to this area south of Logan,
accessible off of Route 33 just west of the interchange with SR 328.  I
arrived there at about 9:00 am and stayed along Keller Road, the road
that skirts the north side of the golf course, where the kites have been
seen last year and this year.  I stayed there along the road (mostly in
the shade!) watching and scanning the sky for a kite until about 1:30
pm.  No luck at all during this period.  Several golfers asked me if I
had seen the kites, and stated that they had seen them either this week
or last week.  There was a lot of golfing activity during this time
period.  That may have been why I did not see the birds.  I left at
least once to bird Keller Road back through the woods and to the open
fields at the top of the hill beyond the woods.  At 1:30 pm, I left and
went to Clear Creek Metropark, for some different habitat.  I returned
to the golf course at about 3:00 pm and was greeted to close views of an
adult Broad-winged Hawk, which was hunting near a small parking area
along the fence at the edge of the woods and then flying around the area
in the open at very close range.  There was very little golfing activity
when I arrived at 3:00 pm.  I watched the skies and the area from the
shade along the fence, but then decided to sit in my car and finish
lunch.  At about 4:00 pm, I got out of my car and walked east to a more
open area, and there was a kite in the air above the near trees!  This
bird was not a full adult, but a sub-adult, because it had a black and
white banded tail, seen in flight from below and above when the tail was
fanned, but head and breast where like a full adult.  According to
information I have found, sub-adult helpers have been observed helping
with incubation, feeding, and defending the nest.  Does this mean that
there may be three birds in this area?  I found some information
suggesting breeding in subadult plumage.  I wonder if the young bird
from last year returned.  Aaron Boone's photos from last year show an
adult bird feeding the young bird.  Were both adult birds last year in
full adult plumage?  Perhaps there is small colony developing in this
area!?  I took some distant photos of the kite I saw in flight, and will
down load and crop and share on the internet, when I have more time to
do so.

 

When one spends a lot of time in such an area, one sees and hears a lot
of birds.  Red-shouldered Hawk, Blue Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy
and Red-bellied Woodpecker, Rough-winged Swallow, Chimney Swifts, Barn
Swallows, Brown Thrasher, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat,
Yellow-breasted Chat, Yellow-throated Warbler, Eastern Bluebird, Great
Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Wood Thrush (late afternoon), Summer
Tanager, Eastern Kingbird, a family group of Common Crows, Indigo
Bunting, Cedar Waxwing.  In the woods along Keller Road, I heard
Louisiana Waterthrush, Hooded Warbler, Ovenbirds (at least 3), and
Scarlet Tanager.  In the open grassy fields beyond the woods, I heard
Grasshopper Sparrow, heard and saw Bobwhite calling from the top of a
fence post, found House Sparrows, House Finch and Northern Mockingbird.
Hopefully, all of these have already been added to this Atlas block.

 

I stayed in the area so long, because this is a long way from home,
..............and then there is the gas!  At about 4:45 pm I returned to
Clear Creek Metropark, but arrived with the arrival of the fierce
thunderstorms, so I did not bird very long.

 

At Clear Creek, I had the following warblers:  Cerulean Warbler, Common
Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Worm-eating Warbler,
multiple (about 5) singing Black-throated Green Warblers along Hemlock
Trail, Louisiana Waterthrush.  I wish I could have spent more time at
Clear Creek.  The Worm-eating Warbler (WEWA) was a new bird for this
year for me, so that was fun!  I found the WEWA along Clear Creek Road
between Hemlock and Fern Trails on the right side in the heavily wooded
slope.  It was beyond the second rail fence trail entry on the south
side of the road towards Fern Trail.  I heard Veery calling (not
singing), at the Fern Trail trailhead, earlier in the afternoon, and
another bird before the storms between Hemlock and Fern Trails along
Clear Creek Road.

Jay

 

Jay G. Lehman

Cincinnati, OH

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