mississippi kite

......to see one of these beauties. Not a great image but put a big smile on my face anyway.

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Male, species sexually dimorphic. Ash Creek Park, Azel, Tarrant County, Texas, USA. Fort Worth Prairie within the Cross Timbers and Prairies Vegational Area. Open field adjacent to Ash Creek riparian at ca. 202 m (663 ft) elevation.

Outside raking leaves and looked up and was quite surprised. Yeah, I rake with the camera around my neck ;)

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Sexes similar in appearance but female is larger. Camelot Park, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, USA. Open Park setting at the edge of remnant gallery woods at ca. 91 m (300 ft) elevation.

That's how we learned to spell it in grammar school ;) Had a few of these guys flying around this past week.

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Sexes similar in appearance but female is larger. Camelot Park, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, USA. Open Park setting at the edge of remnant gallery woods in a low area at ca. 91 m (300 ft) elevation.

I was watching several Kites soaring over the yard and saw this one acting like it was going to dive on prey. So I just followed it around its circle, and sure enough, it dove on the next pass. It dove below the tree line and I saw it flying off through the branches but didn't see what it had...

Kite sightings have been flooding my birding listserv so I've been keeping my eyes towards the sky. Lucky me found one yesterday but by the time I lifted the camera it was on its way. Not a great pic nor is it a first for me but I was a happy camper.

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Adult. Sexes similar. Photographed from my back yard. Open manicured area with Post Oaks (Quercus stellata) at ca. 101 m (330 ft) elevation. Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, USA.

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Juvenile. Sexes similar. West Monroe, Quachita Parish, Louisiana. Urban setting, an old abandoned golf course. Situated in the Black Bayou Watershed west of the Quachita River surrounded by remnant mixed pine/hardwood forest.

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Subadult. Sexes similar. Wichita Falls, Lucy Park, Wichita County, Texas, USA. Manicured park in the floodplain of the Wichita River with small remnant riparian forest at ca. 283 m (928 ft) elevation.

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Sexes similar. Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, near Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA. Mixed grass prairie with granitic uplifts. Elevation ca. 462 m (1,400 ft).

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) The smaller male is on the left and top. Just east of Thomas Park, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, USA. Riparian dominated by Cedar Elm of a small un-named tributary at ca. 78 m (256 ft) elevation.

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Just east of Thomas Park, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, USA. Riparian dominated by Cedar Elm of a small un-named tributary at ca. 78 m (256 ft) elevation.

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Juvenile. Overhead in a kettle of 14. Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, USA. A gray bird against a gray sky but you still have to try (lol). Urban, disturbed Post Oak Savannah Vegetational Area.

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Adult, sexes similar. Overhead in a kettle of 14. Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, USA. A gray bird against a gray sky but you still have to try (lol). Urban, disturbed Post Oak Savannah Vegetational Area.

Flying over my yard. I like the way the evening sun lit him up.

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) juvenile. Sexes similar. We had at least four pair rear young in Brazos County this year. Observation was based on adult pairs with young in late spring. They have been here since spring and have just left in the last few weeks. It seems odd not...

Another newbie for my US bird gallery.

Another 'quite late' afternoon picture in not such good weather. It's been raining buckets here today along with a good amount of lightning and thunder. I tell you what, tho--I'm never gonna let anybody cut that dead branch off my Elm tree!! They all love it too much--lol

Just got another beer when I spotted him

got lucky, seen the shadow flying across while sitting outside, looked up, got camera, shot, and got a new lifer in my garden

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Photographed along the margins of the City of Bryans municipal lake in Astin Recreation Area, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, USA. Park-like setting with scattered post oaks; the municipal golf course is on the opposite side of the lake at 94 m (308 ft)...

I-S-S-I-P-P-I Kite Friday, I had the good fortune of having two of these guys flying fairly low over head and it's the first time I ever heard their call and they were calling continuously, I guess back and forth to each other. I was so enjoying it until a mob of Blue Jays moved in and started...