Hi all,
To say that "all Mississippi Kites migrate through Mexico around the west end of the gulf of Mexico, crossing the Rio Grande in south Texas" is not completely correct. My daughter and her boss saw MIKI in Gainesville Florida during the second week of March this year. They were there for a bird-related conference (both work at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center). I think they were birding at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park when they saw it. At any rate, she brought me back a checklist for the park, and MIKI is listed as Uncommon in Spring (March, April and May) with uncommon being "usually present in small numbers, observed infrequently." And I know a fellow birder who lives in Gainesville who has them nesting in his yard (obviously not at this time of year).

Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD






-----Original Message-----
From: Terry Bronson <>
To: 
Sent: Tue, Mar 23, 2010 7:31 am
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Mississippi Kites Not Yet in U.S.


I'd like to call your attention to the status of Mississippi Kite migration
n 2010. All Mississippi Kites migrate through Mexico around the west
nd of the Gulf of Mexico, crossing the Rio Grande in south Texas.
As of yesterday, not a single Mississippi Kite had been reported at
he primary Mexican hawkwatch site at Chavarillo near Veracruz, Mexico.
ee the following Hawk Migration Association of North American link.
http://hawkcount.org/month_summary.php?rsite=647&ryear=2010&rmonth=03
So the Kites are still south of Chavarillo. Thus, the Mississippi Kite reported
n MD recently is likely something else--most probably one of the Falcons.
Also, FYI, Broad-winged Hawks have just started to move, with the first
00+ day only being on March 19 at Chavarillo. See same link. So it'll
e a few more days, at least, before they get to MD and WV, with this
eek's not-so-good weather perhaps delaying them even more.
 Terry Bronson
organtown, WV