ML160845461

Age

Not specified

Sex

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Observation details

Wonderful to see three at the same time. I originally sighted one very distant bird flying near the Martha’s Vineyard Airport. I tried for a an hour and a half to relocate the bird in that area after it flew out of sight, but had no luck. I then headed to Gay’s Head in hopes that the bird would pass through that area. Shortly after arriving at Gay’s Head around 9:00 AM, a group of three Mississippi Kites passed close overhead. I photographed one well, and another poorly as it was flying away. While I was photographing the first two birds, I noticed the third bird as the three were moving away. They passed over the hill where the lighthouse stands and I lost them. A few minutes later up on the hill I relocated the three moving away to the southwest over Moshup Trail but they were already fairly distant. Looking through the scope, they were backlit, but they all had the same appearance of overall dark birds with long thin, pointed wings and long tails. I watched them as they rode a thermal up. While watching them rise I noticed a group of Broad-winged Hawks. I scanned the Broad-wings to see if there were any other species in with them. After that I could not relocate the kites. Description: Long thin, pointed wings, short outermost primaries, pale bases to wing flight feathers, pale bars on tail, dark lore spot, molting into gray head and body feathers. Tail long and slightly flared, appearing relatively squared-off at a distance. Photos. The first two birds seen well had retained juvenile flight feathers and some underwing coverts, and so were second year (i.e., first spring) birds. The third bird had the same shape, but was only seen at a distance and backlit as the three birds rode a thermal, so I can’t age it. The 19th of May had strong winds out of the south. The 20th also had strong winds out of the southwest switching to NW overnight. The winds were out of the NW or N on the 21st through mid-day on the 22nd. There were relatively large numbers of Mississippi Kites along the Mid-Atlantic and NE coast during this period.

Technical information

Original file size

1.36 MB