Mississippi kite in New York

Summer months are generally quiet birding months as mentioned in the previous post. So, when a report of a rare bird surfaces on the web, it draws a lot of attention....especially in July. This bird, the first record of a Mississippi kite in New York State, has been getting more than its fair share. Folks from all over the Northeast have been travelling hours and hundreds of miles to catch a glimpse of this raptor and believe me, it's worth the effort. Sharon and I had been visiting friends in Vermont and doing minimal birding in search for higher elevation warblers. At the end of our stay, we decided that rather than make a bee-line for home in the Hudson Highlands, we would simply go straight across the border into New York and continue west to the town of Root. Root is one of those towns that if you miss the sign (I'm thinking...was there a sign?), you may not even know that you have passed through it. I live in a village of 4000 people, and compared to Root, you'd think you were in NYC. Ames and Root are gorgeous places, however, with rolling agricultural countryside...a perfect place for birds like upland sandpipers, Grasshopper sparrows, and hopefully the Mississippi kite. As we pulled into Ames, we stopped at the local fire house where two of the Lady's auxilliary were present. The two ladies were so helpful and not only directed us to the intersection in Root where the birds had been seen, but even gave me the phone number of a friend who lived nearby to call if we got lost! One thing about birding, you meet a lot of awfully nice people out there. We got to the site and found a lone birder, Ken Harper, who was more than willing to help us find the bird. We sat along the roadside, waiting patiently for some time with little results. Along came two more lovely ladies, two birders, who informed us that the bird(s) had been spotted a quarter of a mile down the road and several hundred yards up Donata Road. Off we went, and after 5 minutes we had another life bird, the Mississippi kite. Our first sighting was brief, but about an hour later, the bird reappeared and gave us a great extended look. So, this is what obsessed birders do, and we do it with relish. Often the hunt is nearly as good as the prize.