[mou] Probable Mississippi kite- Kandiyohi co.

[Randy Frederickson]

Friends...do note the word probable in the heading, but all indications
point towards a "tentative" ID of adult male MIKI.

Yesterday early evening (6:30 ish), while working in the flower bed, I heard
the martins making their alarm call.  I looked up expecting to see the
coopers hawk that harasses and dines on "my" martins, but all I saw was a
nighthawk..."wait, that's not a nighthawk."  Mind goes into fast forward
mode and I'm trying to make this bird "fit" a normal ID, but I can't.  The
bird was fairly dark (I'm looking almost right up at it so it would have
been casting a shadow on its underside).  The wings were angled very much
like a falcon, but it wasn't a falcon.  It had a completely black, unbanded
tail that was quite squared off.  Underside of wings were dark but not
black, like tail. Underside (belly) was a darker shade of uniform color- no
barring or banding. I did not get a look at the head or top of wings. I ONLY
SAW THE BIRD BRIEFLY- about 4 seconds.  The whole time looking at parts of
the bird, trying to make sense of it. As it disappeared over the trees (it
was gliding NE, about 90 degrees off a stiff NW wind over the edge of the
lake), I exclaimed...ok I loudly exclaimed to my wife, "that's a kite."  I
ran down to the dock (other side of trees) to try and see it again.  But as
luck, or lack thereof, would have it, the bird had turned and was working
its way back over the yard.  I saw it a second time, for about 2 seconds,
before it flew west along the lake, just over the treetops.  My wife, who
was still in the yard, had a much better look at it the second time.  She
said, "that wasn't a coopers hawk."  Of course I immediately asked her about
a bazillion questions (maybe 2 bazillion, I can't keep track after I run out
of fingers). The main thing she saw that I didn't was that as the bird
headed NW (more towards the sun), it looked much lighter, almost white, on
the underside.  

I called my friend Ron Erpelding, told him what I had seen and asked a
question.  If kites are insect eaters, why would the martins be alarmed by
it?  One of his books indicated MIKI will eat swifts and smaller swallows.

There was also a major dragonfly hatch yesterday and those buggers were
everywhere at the time of the sighting.  Every indication to me suggests
kite, unless someone can suggest another plausible ID.

I worked this morning from about 6-10:00 but hung around the yard the rest
of the day...hoping.  At one time I heard the blue jays "we don't like you
here" chatter about half a block away.  When I investigated, I found a male
coopers hawk (waiting for tasty martins, no doubt) perched high in a
cottonwood.

I should also note Ron and I searched for the probable kite for about 45
minutes after the sighting, along the lake and down into the nearby
cemetery, about half a mile away.  The bird was NOT relocated.

I MIGHT go chasing the least tern tomorrow (Thurs), but welcome questions
(via phone if you need answers soon).

Randy Frederickson
Willmar,  Kandiyohi county  320 231-1291