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Old 08-03-2020, 09:38 PM   #141
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We’d noticed a Swallow-tailed Kite in the countryside. This is a large spectacular kite (a type of hawk) with a forked tail. One recent morning doing a walk around DF’s farm we noticed it was hunting over the peanut field next to us. We watched it for a long time. It would swoop low, pick off a large insect, then eat it on the wing without even slowing down. Just kept tacking back and forth. Came close several times. Finally flew towards the woods and circled above us a while, probably looking for a perch.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/...tailed_Kite/id
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Old 08-03-2020, 09:43 PM   #142
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Originally Posted by cbo111 View Post
We've had a bunch of Wood Storks (aka Ironheads) hanging out here in Fl for the past couple weeks. I think they are meeting up to find mates. There was three different groups in the same area totaling about 75 birds. I found this unusual because we normally see them solitary or occasionally in pairs.
I think they are getting ready to migrate. We see them migrating in groups. That’s how we see them in South Texas. I suspect breeding season is over.

Well, apparently it depends where in FL. From FWS.gov
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Nesting periods vary geographically. In South Florida, wood storks lay eggs as early as October and fledge in February or March. However, in north and central Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, storks lay eggs from March to late May, with fledging occurring in July and August.
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Old 08-04-2020, 10:11 AM   #143
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So cool! I've never seen cranes. Wish I would.
We've got lots of them around here. They put up quite a racket.
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Old 08-04-2020, 09:56 PM   #144
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Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1 View Post
We’d noticed a Swallow-tailed Kite in the countryside. This is a large spectacular kite (a type of hawk) with a forked tail. One recent morning doing a walk around DF’s farm we noticed it was hunting over the peanut field next to us. We watched it for a long time. It would swoop low, pick off a large insect, then eat it on the wing without even slowing down. Just kept tacking back and forth. Came close several times. Finally flew towards the woods and circled above us a while, probably looking for a perch.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/...tailed_Kite/id
We see them fairly regularly at our FL home. They are amazing. I've seen them swoop down just a dozen or so feet away and take an anole right off the fence. That's Blue Angel quality precision flying, there.
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Old 08-05-2020, 02:50 AM   #145
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We see them fairly regularly at our FL home. They are amazing. I've seen them swoop down just a dozen or so feet away and take an anole right off the fence. That's Blue Angel quality precision flying, there.
Cool!

It’s a real treat for us. We see them rarely in South Texas, and only during hawk migration. Still with their distinctive silhouette we would occasionally notice one high overhead in a migrating kettle, and one morning we found one perched in a dead tree in the nearby state park.

We saw a lot more of them if we were along the east coast of Texas during migration.

According to the range maps their summer (breeding) range is the eastern gulf coast, most of Florida, and the GA and SC coastal edges. We’re a bit north of its range. Not unusual we’ve seen several species a bit north of their range this summer.

I think this one has been around here for a couple of months at least. I first spied it flying low overhead a couple of months ago maybe 10 miles south of here. Then a couple of weeks ago noticed it working the peanut fields a couple of miles south. Found it there a couple of times so DH was able to get a glimpse too. So it was a thrill to have it turn up at our place.
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Old 08-05-2020, 05:01 AM   #146
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Originally Posted by audreyh1 View Post
We’d noticed a Swallow-tailed Kite in the countryside. This is a large spectacular kite (a type of hawk) with a forked tail. One recent morning doing a walk around DF’s farm we noticed it was hunting over the peanut field next to us. We watched it for a long time. It would swoop low, pick off a large insect, then eat it on the wing without even slowing down. Just kept tacking back and forth. Came close several times. Finally flew towards the woods and circled above us a while, probably looking for a perch.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/...tailed_Kite/id
We have seen swallow tailed kites a few times--spectacular birds!
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Old 08-05-2020, 09:47 AM   #147
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Can any tell me what kind of bird this is? Sat for an hour calling in the top our our tree. Was wondering if maybe it lost its young one?
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Old 08-05-2020, 09:52 AM   #148
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Can any tell me what kind of bird this is? Sat for an hour calling in the top our our tree. Was wondering if maybe it lost its young one?
Peregrine falcon?
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Old 08-05-2020, 10:20 AM   #149
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I'm an eastern birder, but that looks like a Red-Shouldered Hawk to me.
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Old 08-05-2020, 10:25 AM   #150
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I'm an eastern birder, but that looks like a Red-Shouldered Hawk to me.
Mine was a SWAG, so it's likely way off. (At least I didn't say Mallard.. )
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Old 08-05-2020, 10:33 AM   #151
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Can any tell me what kind of bird this is? Sat for an hour calling in the top our our tree. Was wondering if maybe it lost its young one?
I'm pretty certain that is a red-tailed hawk. Large bird and dark belly band.
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Old 08-05-2020, 10:38 AM   #152
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I saw a reddish egret in Jekyll Island, GA the other day and finally saw its fishing dance.

It was fun to watch and pretty spastic!
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Old 08-05-2020, 10:59 AM   #153
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Thanks for the reply’s. I was thinking falcon too but maybe hawk. I know the picture is not great. Made so much noise for so long that people were coming out their houses to see what was going on.
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Old 08-05-2020, 12:12 PM   #154
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Originally Posted by Rocky mtn high View Post
Can any tell me what kind of bird this is? Sat for an hour calling in the top our our tree. Was wondering if maybe it lost its young one?
Might be a red-tailed hawk. Looks to maybe have a belly band.
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Old 08-05-2020, 12:13 PM   #155
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I saw a reddish egret in Jekyll Island, GA the other day and finally saw its fishing dance.

It was fun to watch and pretty spastic!
That is a great thing to see in person!
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Old 08-05-2020, 03:26 PM   #156
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We've had a bunch of Wood Storks .. hanging out here in FL for the past couple weeks.
A wood stork will occasionally stand outside my house and watch me through the living room window while I'm exercising. The bird may be thinking, "Why is this strange animal expending so much energy with little hope of obtaining food, shelter, or sex?" A reasonable question.
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Old 03-18-2023, 08:13 PM   #157
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Birding

Bird migration predictions can be found here

https://birdcast.info

“Bird migration forecast maps
Bird migration forecast maps show predicted nocturnal migration 3 hours after local sunset and are updated every 6 hours. Colorado State University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently produce these forecasts.”
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Old 03-18-2023, 08:40 PM   #158
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Bird spring migration is pretty predictable here. Hawks have started migrating now and will migrate in numbers through the end of April. Smaller songbirds flying across the Gulf will can be seen on the coast mostly from mid-April to mid-May.

They do show up during the day and then fly farther inland at night if weather is favorable.
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Old 03-19-2023, 07:39 PM   #159
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We're on the upper Rock River, which has its source about 20 miles away in the Horicon Marsh, the largest freshwater cattail march in the US. We've been seeing a lot of migrating and nesting waterfowl since the end of February. The giant sandhill cranes arrived about the same time. Turkey vultures have been feasting on roadkill whitetail deer.
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Old 03-19-2023, 07:43 PM   #160
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We see sandhill cranes a bit north of here in the winter. And we’ve seen plenty wintering in New Mexico. So I guess they don’t have to travel as far as some birds do.
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