Shape Divider - Style triangle_asymmetrical

​July 29, 2020, we saw these two Mississippi Kites in the air about an hour before the three Swallow-Tail Kites came for their daily visit. Both migrate south for the winter anyway and we are expecting Hurricane/Tropical Storm to hit here  in a couple of days, so I will be surprised if we see them again this year as they will probably be moving on before the storm gets here. (Note: we did not see them or the Swallow -Kites again after the storm).

They began by foraging (circling low over the trees) at one point their behavior seems to indicate they captured something because they soon rose higher (too high) and flew off in one direction.  

Hopefully, they will return next year on their migration and we can get some more pictures. 

Shape Divider - Style triangle_asymmetrical

They were pretty hard to capture even in the beginning  when they were lower.  The distance was great and our lens were inadequate; which is why we didn't zoom in too much on the slideshow  below on this page. 

This IS a good example of why I like to  have/take pictures for identifying/confirming the bird seen. Whether you get a picture or not it helps to see more detail than what you can see through the camera or binocular lens.

See the collage below.  Whether or not you take a picture, it is important to note the shape of the wings, the shape of the tail, and the color/shape of the head for identification purposes. It is also imperative to note the bird's behavior while in the air (in this case foraging) and how they flap their wings. Without knowing those things, one might mistake this bird for an eagle (because of the white head); however, these birds are quite a bit smaller than eagles. In reality, they are about the size of Peregrine Falcons and are smaller even than the Swallow-Tail Kite.