Yesterday, I finally took some Mississippi Kite photos that I’m happy with during a trip to Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge. They are such striking raptors.
Mississippi Kite in a willow tree – Nikon D500, f8, 1/640, ISO 500, +1.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Earlier in the morning, when the light wasn’t great, I found a kite in this same general area. The kite was spitting up a pellet of undigested food particles. I was disappointed I didn’t get better photos of the kite while it was doing that.
Later in the morning, I decided to head back to the area to see if I could find the Mississippi Kite, and I found two of them.
Both of the photos in this post are of the same kite on two different perches. The photo above was part of the first series I took while the kite was in a willow.
Adult Mississippi Kite in Oklahoma – Nikon D500, f8, 1/640, ISO 500, +1.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
The kite took off after prey, and when it came back, it landed on this dead tree. These kites weren’t far away from the Mississippi Kite nest I found on my second trip to this refuge; they may even be the pair that built the nest. By now, their chicks should have hatched.
Maybe the pair of kites I saw yesterday were out gathering food for their young.
These kites are extremely graceful in flight; it is a joy to watch them fly.
The light gray and dark plumage of Mississippi Kites makes them stand out in the bottomland forests where I find them at the refuge, or against a bright blue sky anywhere else. And those red eyes? Wow, they look intense!
Life is good.
Mia
I will be adding more Mississippi Kite photos to their gallery here as I take them.
Beautiful bird. Yes…the Kite’s red eye is super intense. Great shots. Thanks Mia.
They are beautiful, I have never seen one. I saw Whistling Kites in Australia. Sadly I was with other travelers who did not want to stop for photos.
Beautiful raptors! Look forward to seeing them every summer in our skies!
WHAT a beauty.