My heart sank a couple of weeks ago when I saw that a Mississippi Kite had returned to Waretown for the fourth year in a row. You would think that I'd be excited by this bird, the first known nester of this species in NJ and I would be if it was in a refuge or a WMA. But because the bird perversely chose a residential neighborhood--it probably wouldn't have even been discovered had not a birder lived across the street from where it roosted--the return meant that I would have the unpleasant experience once again of skulking around quiet streets peering with binoculars at snags, tall trees, and the sky. Quiet streets that is until the local dogs catch sight of me and all start barking--one German shepherd looked last week like it was going to smash through the picture window it had its front paws against.
For various reasons I didn't have a chance to go down there until last week. I gave myself a half hour and saw nothing. The only skill involved in this kind of birding is persistence--how many times are you willing to go to same spot and wait for a bird to show up?
Today I was down in Barnegat again and made the Waretown intersection my last stop. There were no other birders around, I guess because everyone else who wanted to see the bird has already been there and seen it. I walked to the intersection where the dead tree is that the bird used to roost in. I'd been told that it no longer roosted there but elsewhere nearby. Still, I looked longingly up at the bare branches. Then I saw a hawk flying and got excited for a mere moment until I realized it was a Red-tailed Hawk. Then, far up and way, I saw the kite. With my clearer vision it was easy to see the all gray bird with a pale head. It was easy to see but impossible to photograph. I followed it as it circled overhead, presumably catching large flying insects. It went directly above me and just before I lost sight of it, I saw a second one! This is not totally surprising since it does take two to nest, but up until today, all reports had been of a single bird. That was the only time I had two birds in sight simultaneously but I was able to watch one of them fly around for quite a long time, as these sightings are measured, and at one point the kite swooped down low enough for me to point and shoot the picture above. The narrow pointed wings and squarish tail are field marks. You can't see the color as I did.
So, "oh, great," became "great!" and after twenty minutes I left, never having to go back to that section of Waretown...until next year.
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