South of Elkton, Cecil County, MD, outside of Sean McCandless' house.  June
7, 2004, Monday, 8 A.M. - Noon.  Cool, foggy and calm gradually becoming
fair, warm-hot and sunny with gentle NW winds of 5-10 m.p.h. developing.
Finally favorable conditions and I hope those there in the afternoon had
better views of more birds.

As a result of a lot of scanning rather brief, distant views of as many as
3 Mississippi (7 or 8 sightings with 3 in sight simultaneously once) and 1
Swallow-tailed Kite, most of them seen up high and toward the top of the
hill (i.e., N or W of Sean's house = face the house and look left) or
behind the house as easily seen from the road.  Parking is along the paved
road in this development.  12 or so people present including Dorothy
Tucker, Paul Lehman, Bill Handley, Charlie Gant, Robin Newlin, Kurt
Schwarz, et al..

Several times two Mississippi Kites were seen together, sometimes tangling
with each other.  Beautiful flyers and a most welcome addition to my
Maryland list.  A big thank you is due to Sean and Mary for being so
helpful to the multitudes and doing it with such grace.  THANK YOU.

The cicada spectacle is impressive.  They make a continuous roar, really
loud if you're up close.  They make their bumbling, seemingly ineffectual
flights around everywhere.  Dead and dying ones are all over.  They fill
the air above the trees.  Visible all the way back up the 7.8 mile drive to
the Delaware line and into Delaware on I-95 a ways.  One school of thought
is that the kites are hanging around here to feed on the cicadas.

Also seen here:  Turvey & Black vultures, 2-3 Red-tailed and Red-shouldered
hawks, a Broad-winged, and a nice adult Cooper's Hawk that was carrying a
robin, perhaps to a nearby nest.  Red-eyed Vireo, bluebirds and Tree
Swallows nesting in the development, Great Blue Herons flying over every
few minutes, some of them circling.  Silver-spotted Skipper, Tiger
Swallowtail, Cabbage White, and Red-spotted Purple.  Quite a few
dragonflies, also potential kite food.

Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA
19119-1225.  215-248-4120.  Please, any off-list replies to: