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 > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Please consider joining our Society, at > www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] > ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]