Mississippi Kites

Mississippi Kites are beginning to be seen in our area.  I haven’t seen one yet, but I am on the look-out.  I have memories of a nice experience back in May of 2011, about four years ago.  We had been birding at a neat birding place near Abilene, called Cedar Gap Farm.

We had just left the place and were about a half-mile down the road when I glanced to the left and saw a juvenile Mississippi Kite atop a utility.  I stopped the car, got out with my camera, and took a closer look.

The bird was crying out, and as I looked skyward, an adult, probably it’s mother, was circling with some little nugget of food.  As I watched it swept down and fed it in the mouth of the little one and flew off.  I was intent on getting a photo of the young one so I set up my big 500mm lens on a tripod about thirty yards away.

As I was beginning to get some serious photos, the bird was still crying out.  I was very fortunate that the adult flew down and again gave a large beetle type of insect to the baby.  I was able to get these photos.

juvenile Mississippi Kite

Mississippi Kites – dinner time

I hope you enjoyed this short post.  Click the images to see enlargements.

Mississippi Kites – Here for the summer

One of the raptor type birds that hang around here in the summer is the Mississippi Kite.  I was reminded of them when my friend, Russell Smith, called me and told me that there were some in his neighborhood.  There is a nest across the street from his home, and some of the young ones come sit in his own tree.  I haven’t gotten there yet in time to get photos for this blog post, so I will relate this experience that I had a couple of years ago.

Mississippi Kite

We had been to the Cedar Gap Farm bird sanctuary near Abilene.  When leaving, about a quarter of a mile away I spotted a young kite sitting atop a utility pole.  It was crying out, so I looked to the sky and spotted his parent, flying high above.  As I watched, the adult came soaring in with a tasty morsel and fed it to the child.  The adult, then left, apparently to fetch some more food so I got my cameras prepared.  As it came back, I was able to get these photos.  Click on any of them to see enlargements.

Mississippi Kite – juvenile

Adult Mississippi Kite feeding a juvenile.

Adult Mississippi Kite feeding juvenile

Concho River – Mississippi Kite

We thought we’d take a break this morning and take a drive to downtown San Angelo, and cruise a bit along the Concho River.  It was really nice down there but a bit on the humid side.  Not like up north, though, and it will disappear as the sun rises to it’s usual 100 degree mark.  I was pleased to come across this Mississippi Kite, (Ictinia mississippiensis).  This smallish raptor is beginning to show up more in increasing numbers in this area.

Mississippi Kite

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon 500mm IS lens with 1.4 tele-converter – tripod mounted
• 1/1000 sec @ f9 –  plus 1/3 EV adjustment
• ISO 400
• Lens focal distance 700mm
• Metering – partial
• Shutter priority

After spending time photographing the kite, we continued and came upon these two photo opportunities.

Great Blue Heron

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon 100-400mm lens
• 1/1600 sec. @ f5.6 – minus 1/3 EV adjustment
• ISO 250
• Lens focal distance 260mm
• Metering – partial
• Shutter priority

Cormorant and Turtles

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon 100-400mm lens
• 1/2000 sec. @ f5.6 – minus 1/3 EV adjustment
• ISO 1000
• Lens focal distance 350mm
• Metering partial
• Shutter priority

I hope you enjoyed the photos.  Click on any one of them to see beautiful enlargements.

Need Mississipppi Kite Nesting Info

I  just received an e-mail from Terry Maxwell asking for anyone that has informaation on Mississippi Kite nesting sites in the San Angelo and Tom Green County, Texas area to please contact him at:  toucantoad@yahoo.com.   A Texas Tech grad is arriving in San Angelo to do some research on the subject.  Thanks for anyway you can help.  Enjoy the photo.  Click on image for an enlargement.

Mississippi Kite feeding young.