Kite flying

While planting roses for my mother yesterday (early mother's day gift) I noticed a raptor in the top of a large dead Sycamore at the corner of my parent's property. At first I thought it must be just another Red-shoulder or Red-tailed hawk, but its silhouette against the gray sky just didn't seem right. It was odd; something I had never seen before. It definitely had the look of a hawk, but was the size of a crow. So today I brought my camera back to mom and dad's since Gary and I had work to do in the garden (hoeing, tilling, exterminating, etc.). Now there were three of the raptors in this same tree and I took many pics. After editing the pics and doing some checking, I discovered these birds were Mississippi Kites (Ictinia mississippiensis). Doing some further investigating, I learned we are on the absolute edge of their breeding range so it maybe they are new to this area. Well, all I can say is "welcome to our neck of the woods."

Three in the Tree