Chance favors the prepared mind. ____________
chris.pel...@cornell.edu<mailto:chris.pel...@cornell.edu> On May 22, 2013, at 21:08, "Mark Chao" <markc...@imt.org<mailto:markc...@imt.org>> wrote: On Wednesday evening at about 6:20 PM, Tilden and I, plus a bemused umpire and a dugout full of youth baseball players saw an adult MISSISSIPPI KITE circling over Valentino Field at Tutelo Park on Bostwick Road in Ithaca. Notes: Raptor soaring easily in circles overhead for about 90 seconds. Distinctive long, slim pointed wings, more like a gull than a hawk. Small outermost primaries plainly seen and reconfirmed. Long tail broadly fanned, about the same proportion to body length as Cooper’s Hawk, with no pattern. Whitish head, underside, and wing coverts. Broad black tips to wings, without distinct border against white. Overall black-and-white contrast vaguely reminiscent of Northern Harrier or Broad-winged Hawk, but also obviously different. Wings had no black trailing edge. Overall shape while soaring rules out any other species with similar coloration. I lost the bird when I had to refocus on the ballgame, but think the kite probably drifted off to the north or northwest. This was a life bird for both Tilden and me, but despite our lack of experience, I feel certain about the ID. Mark Chao -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
