Surprising Swallow-tailed Kite Find

It has been a pretty bird-less couple of weeks for me. Just not much out there this time of year but I have been checking the local lakes everyday. Today I had to head over to the banding site for one of our Summertime weeding chores before we begin banding birds again in August. As we headed out toward the middle of the net lanes I could hear a strange kind of chirping that I could not identify right away.

Once we got more out in the open we could see them. Ten Swallow-tailed Kites roosting in the snags above us!



A pair of Swallow-tailed Kites nested here earlier in the year and we knew the two chicks had hatched. At that time there was only one additional Kite hanging around that we could tell.



A couple of weeks ago, Richard and Christine reported that they found seven in this same spot.



I am thinking that this is one of the chicks as it is so fluffy.



I consider this another candidate since it has a bunch of tan on the feathers instead of this solid white of the adults. But I am no Kite specialist...



As I carried on with my hacking and weeding I heard the calls again. Upon looking up, I noticed all of the Swallow-tailed Kites soaring above me. Seven were riding the thermals in a spiral while three others circled closer to my head.



I haven't had a good opportunity to photograph Kites in flight in a long time so I was thrilled to get a few shots in today.



This bird was even preening as it flew!



A minute later and the Kites gave out a series of calls and joined together before zipping off to the East to forage. Another day in paradise.