I agree with Paul Hurtado's comments about the possibility of
Swallow-tailed Kite showing up in mixed open habitats and potentially
sticking around. Here's a relevant example from a comparable date and from
even farther north in the Midwest, exactly ten years ago. On Aug. 15, 2004,
Tim Martin spotted a Swallow-tailed Kite in LaPorte County in northern
Indiana. Local birders went out to look for it, couldn't find it, and
assumed it must have been just passing through. Two days later, not knowing
about the previous sighting, I was driving through and happened to spot the
bird from the Indiana Turnpike. I told local friends about it, they
searched again, and found a vantage point close to the turnpike from which
to scan for the kite. The bird stayed around and was seen by numerous
birders through at least August 28.

The habitat in that area was, again, open farmland with numerous scattered
woodlots. So I think the habitat where the bird was seen in Highland County
would be fine for this bird to stick around, and I certainly think this
Swallow-tailed Kite would be worth seeking.

[EDIT: just as I was about to post this, I saw a message that Doreene
Linzell and Dan Sanders had just seen the kite again. Way to go, Doreene
and Dan!]

Kenn Kaufman
Oak Harbor, OH


On Sat, Aug 16, 2014 at 10:49 AM, Paul Hurtado <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> While this species does have habitat preferences,  this time of year they
> can wander widely and turn up just about anywhere!
>
> Even the best habitat in Ohio for the species isn't guaranteed to make a
> wandering vagrant stick around. That said, it took me three attempts before
> successfully chasing my life bird outside West Lafayette, IN last summer
> (in an area of mixed open agricultural habitat and woodlots).
>
> A risky species to chase,  but every once and a while they DO stick around!
>
> -Paul Hurtado
>
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