Tag Archives: White-tailed Kite

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The first photo shows a beautiful White-tailed Kite. The second photo...a tangled kite!

I love White-tailed Kites. Here is what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology writes about them: "Grasslands and savannas are great places to fly a kite and that's exactly where you will find the White-tailed Kite, flying as if it were attached to a kite string. With its body turned toward the wind and wings gently flapping, it hovers above the ground, a behavior that’s so distinctive it’s become known as kiting. From above it tips its head down to look for small mammals moving in the grass below. Its white underparts, gleaming white tail, and black shoulder patches are its other marks of distinction."

To hear the call of this kite, here is the link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Kite/sounds

Thanks to Karen Wilkinson for two fun photos and for allowing me to share them with you here.

Today started off sunny, but clouds moved it. It's been drizzly today, with the bricks in our courtyard damp. More mushrooms are up - matsutakes and cocorra. King and Queen boletes, and yellow Chanterelles are also being found. I found several Zeller's Boletes today.

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Michael Reinhart found two adults and three juvenile White-tailed Kites recently. The first four photos are of an adult. I love the "from behind" view too. The third photo shows the kite hunting.

And here are the three juveniles.

To listen to a White-tailed Kite's call, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Kite/sounds  It's described as a whistled yelp.

Thanks to Mike for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

Weather report: sun...no, clouds...no, sun...whoops, a downpour...you get the picture! It's cool today too.

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I love Cedar Waxwings but I don't see them very often. Ron Bolander recently photographed one of these beauties.

Ron also found a White-tailed Kite resting on branches. Nice!

And a female American Kestrel in flight.

Thanks to Ron for allowing me to share his beautiful photos with you here.

The weather is sunny and mild today. The Pacific Ocean has calmed down after all the storms. Last night a friend and I witnessed a green flash at sunset. These dry days are so welcome after all the rain. Crews are working along Highway One today, clearing downed trees that were pushed to the side of the highway. Lots of heroes here on the Mendonoma Coast!

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It's a treat to see a White-tailed Kite hovering in the air as she searches for a tasty rodent. Allen Vinson recently photographed a beautiful kite against an oh-so-blue sky.

These small raptors are year-round residents of the West Coast. Look for them in grassy meadows. I've seen them at Gualala Point Regional Park, a great place to see wildlife.

The calls of White-tailed Kites are rather soft. You can listen to them at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Kite/sounds

Thanks to Allen for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Allen's nature photography, here is the link: http://allenvinson.smugmug.com/

It's another sunny, warm, breezy day on the Mendonoma Coast today!

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If I'm allowed to have favorites, White-tailed Kites are some of my favorite birds. Jennifer Massey photographed one hovering in air, getting ready to nab his dinner.

These kites hunt small mammals, and they can be seen hovering over grassy meadows.

During non-breeding season, White-tailed Kites are known to roost together in groups of up to a hundred or so birds. To hear their quiet, whistle-like calls, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Kite/sounds

Thanks to Jennifer for allowing me to share her photos with you here. In her photos, the sky is oh-so-blue. Not so today as cool fog  moved in.

Spring doesn't know...