Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 14:33:59 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Harvey Mudd Subject: Re: Miss. Kite at PWRC 5/18 In-Reply-To: <001601c0dfc3$af50d1a0$d76196d1@oemcomputer> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Gail Mackiernan and I watched the bird for more than an hour. We also thought it to be second-year because there is a broad white secondary bar visible on the perched bird (the only way we saw it), but the iris is still brownish. The National Geographic guide shows the iris as brown in the immature, red in the full adult. We also noted the large white spots on the back feathers and presumed these might be a sign of less than full adulthood. Harvey Mudd At 01:55 PM 05/18/2001 -0400, you wrote: > To All, > I was with Amy and Mark Hoffman watching the Mississippi Kite at the Patuxent Research Center for over an hour while it sat in a tree near the maintenance yard. From the entrance to the center take the first road to the left and you quickly enter the maintenance yard. From what I have heard it frequents the snags which overlook the yard. This is where we watched it sit for an hour before making a few sallies to pick off large insects. Mark and I both felt this may be a second-year bird. It had scattered white spots on the back and a trace of barring in the tail. Otherwise it looks as an adult. The center, which is on Route 197, is closed on weekends but open to the public on weekdays. > This was a state bird for the three of us. Mark was so ecstatic that he said he was going to quit birding to spend more time with his wife and son. > Good luck to everyone. This bird may stay awhile. > >Bob Ringler >Eldersburg, Md >ringler@qis.net > > >To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com >with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ____________________________________ S. Harvey Mudd NIMH/DIRP/LMB Building 36, Room 1B-08 36 CONVENT DR MSC 4034 BETHESDA MD 20892-4034 tel: 301-496-0681; fax 301-402-0245 email: shm@codon.nih.gov ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================