May 20 2019. Chillicothe, Ohio. The Bird of the Day that never was.
Finished with the warblers of Kentucky we headed home northward through Ohio. But Dan had read about the return of a breeding pair of Mississippi Kites to the rural edge of Chillicothe in southern Ohio.
We deemed it worth the side trip and found the reported site with little trouble and some sightseeing through the underbelly of Chillcothe. The purported site was a large un-mowed field, a grassland surrounded by hills, forests and the odd farm building. Seeing the very distinctive kites should be straightforward here .
I’ve never seen a Mississippi Kite to be certain of, so had only books and on-line descriptions to watch for. Our first putative Mississippi Kite was a hovering American Kestrel, quickly dismissed but admired. American Crows, Turkey Vultures and Red–tailed Hawks along the skyline were all kite candidates, some briefly, others in desperation as we struggled with intermittent views; but no. Here’s the kestrel, but no Mississippi Kites, not for us.
