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Subject:

Black Tern in Garrett/ Mississippi Kite in Charles

From:

"George M. Jett"

Reply-To:

George M. Jett

Date:

Tue, 31 May 2005 15:38:28 -0400

Folks

Bob Ringler is correct.  I was at the Trout Run WWTP in the Oakland area when I photographed the Black Tern on Saturday, May 28,  not the Oakland WWTP.  I have incorrectly called this location the Oakland plant for decades.  Now I know.   It is the one where one goes to find Upland Sandpipers, Willow Flycatcher, Cliff Swallow, and Bobolink.  All were found on Saturday as well.

I do know where I was when I photographed a Mississippi Kite today.  While atlasing Port Tobacco CE, I stopped at McDonnough High School on Marshall Corner Road.  As I was getting out of the car I noticed a raptor over head.  My first thought was "Oh, Red Tail.  No the tail is too long.  Red-shouldered Hawk, but the bird did not have the conspicuous "crescents" in the primaries, no banding in the tail, and a light head,  the tail was proportionally long and triangular.  I quickly realized I was not familiar with this species in Charles County.   I reached back into the car, got the camera, and started shooting.  I did stop long enough to set the camera to manual focus, but never checked the ISO.  I should have.  It was set at 100.  Yesterday I was photographing the Western Kingbird at Ft. McHenry in Baltimore with flash, and had not reset the ISO.  I was pretty sure of what I had taken pictures at the site but viewing the images in Photoshop on the PC, it is clearly a Mississippi Kite.

This may be the third or fourth MIKI record for Charles Co., and a highly sought after county bird by me.  

Regards

George Jett
Waldorf, MD 20603