Fw: storm bird?

["Robin Carter" <rcarter@sc.rr.com>]

This bird may or may not have been a storm-blown stray. I have recorded
Mississippi Kite from Fairfield and even Chester Counties, the later on a
BBS in June a few years ago. Mississippi Kites wander widely, and since they
breed in my neighborhood in Columbia, even the northern most part of the
county is less than 15 miles from a breeding location.

Robin Carter
Columbia, SC
rcarter@sc.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Donna S. Bailey" <dsbailey@conterra.com>
To: <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2001 9:21 AM
Subject: storm bird?


>
> While not as exciting as a Frigatebird, I believe I had an Allison-blown
> bird yesterday afternoon.  Just in front of a squall line moving in from
> the northeast, I spotted a Mississippi Kite hunting over a weedy field
> along one of the birdy back roads in northern Richland county.  The bird
> was apparently taking advantage of a break in the rain and hunting.  I
> stopped the car and got out to watch him.  While I watched, the bird
caught
> a dragonfly and was eating "on the wing".  It is a testament to the grace
> of a kite that the Mississippi Kite can still look elegant while picking
> dragonfly from between his toes in the erratic winds that proceed a
squall.
>  I watched him until the rain was coming down in sheets and he disappeared
> behind the treeline.  As there are no creeks or rivers particularly close
> to this spot, I think the strong winds from the tropical depression may
> have "moved" him a bit from his usual hunting/nesting area.
>
> In other news, I added a species to the list of breeders in the
creekbottom
> near the house.  Yesterday, I finally heard enough (several complete
songs,
> most with an accented ending) to decide that there really were American
> Redstarts still in the creekbottom.  There is one singer and possibly
> another.  I haven't seen a female or any other evidence of nesting yet.
>
>
>
>
> Donna S. Bailey
> Winnsboro, SC
>
> e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com
>
> URL:  http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
> Where are the Birds?  Migration across South Carolina
>