Swallow-tailed Kite
My last post shared my added lifer, #202 the Burrowing Owl, from yesterday morning.
Would you believe I saw another lifer within a half hour of the Burrowing Owl?Ā I did!!Ā Ā š
Welcome to my lifer list, #203 the Swallow-tailed Kite!Ā I have seen these beautiful aerial acrobats in flight several times in the last couple months but was never able to stop and get a photograph.
This time a Swallow-tailed Kite wasn’t in flight, but perched right alongside the road for me to see AND where there was ample space to pull over.Ā My adrenaline was a-pumping!
Swallow-tailed Kite
The kite was performing it’s morning yoga wing stretching……
Swallow-tailed Kite stretching
There’s that beautiful forked tail!
A glimpse of the underwing.
….fluffin’ up and tail stretching.
I departed with a big thank you and huge smile, leaving the Swallow-tailed Kite to its morning ritual.
Two new lifers within a half hour, what a great morning!
Photos by Donna 
Wonderful!! Very happy for you š
Thank you, Takami! It was a “happy dance” morning! š š
Simply fantastic! Amazing to get so close and personal. I envy you all the dancing, š
Thank you, Lisa! This was definitely a delight to see!
Amazing, congrats, Donna! Great photos of the Yoga Bird. š¤š„°
Thank you, John! š
How wonderful Donna, two lifers in an hour, that’s so cool. This is the joy of birding in a new location, you are just excitedly on the lookout all the time. What a gift, and it looks so beautiful in the light.
Thank you, Ashley! It was a memorable hour for sure! š
Congratulations, Donna. Your # 203 lifer is a beauty. He had his meal already otherwise he’d be in the air.
After the meal comes the preening and stretching. Great captures my friend. š š
Thank you, HJ! I thought maybe the breakfast hour was over as I’ve only been seeing them in flight. It was a RPRT for me for sure! š
Sounds like you’re having a great trip with regard to lifers. Have you ever found this many in such a short time frame before?
It’s been an awesome trip for sure! Yes, I’ve had other times being on a roll with new lifers when visiting vastly new locations, as in a boat trip to Poplar Island last summer and the summer of 2016 when we traveled out west for five months. š
Awesome! You’ll be up to 250, then 300 before you know it! š
Thank you, Mike! 300 sounds so far away! But I will always be trying!! š
A cute kite! Excellent documentation, Donna!
Thank you, Indira!!
Donna, you sure are in a wonderful place right now – couldn’t be better for ‘social isolation’. So keep all of these gorgeous pictures coming – they are a bright spot in the day!
Thank you, Susan! There is so many places to hang alone, it is perfect for isolation. Just the way I like it! š
Nice Donna! They are a beautiful bird! And fun to watch fly! Nice close shots. We saw them many times at Lake Woodruff NWR, but at quite a distance.
Thank you, Reed! I’ve been watching for this bird for the last two months, always seeing it in flight but never when I could pull off. This was way special! š
Wow, Iāve never seen one perched. Fabulous captures and way to go getting stopped and getting the images!
Thank you, Ellen! I don’t think I could have asked for a better opportunity with this beauty. And to pull off was way perfect with a big wide area. š
Excellent ! Very hard to even get an inflight shot. While we have them around often, never get any perching.
Thank you, Ted! I thought I’d never get this bird in flight and then to come up on it perched was just way too awesome. Still don’t have a flight shot though! LOL š
Wonderful Lovelyb
Thank you!
I loved the yoga exercises. Well spotted and recorded.
Thank you, Tom!
Woohoo these are so phenomenal Donna! I don’t know how you managed to focus after just coming off the Burrowing Owl “cloud” (referring to White Cloud Ultra Toilet Paper here). Giggle! What an amazing day for you! You are such a gifted photographer – I’m extremely delighted we have met and I get to see and read your blog as you are a gifted writer and share so much information as well! Thank you! Hopefully we’ll be able to go on more birding/photography adventures together as soon as this social distancing is lifted!
Thank you, Carol! Yes, White Cloud!! š š I know one thing, there is a lot of adrenaline pumping when I’m photographing a new bird, lol. Now if I can find the Snail Kite as you have, that would be more awesome! š
It’s exquisite. Congratulations, Donna!
Thank you, Tanja!
Congrats, Donna, you’re on a roll! š What a sweet-looking bird, too.
Thank you, Eliza! I love this ‘roll’! š
Love the yoga poses and those tail feathers. I’ve never seen a bird that is so distinctly black and white like that.
Your list grows!
Thank you, Vic! It was a delightful meet-up! š
Beautiful!!! I too just saw one on March 11 in the Okefenokee NWR. I was overjoyed. It was the last photo from our 3-day trip… so it will probably be a month before I get to edit and post! Lol. Great photos, thanks for posting. William
Thank you, William! Oh, I can’t wait to see your photos from the ONWR! A 3-day trip there sounds like a great adventure. š
How wonderful! Lovely captures. š
Thank you, Irene! š
That’s quite the yoga routine you caught there! Great catch and thrilled to see your lifer list grow!
Thank you, Gunta! I’m still trying to find one in flight to share/show off that big forked tail! š