Although I’d never until that moment seen a Mississippi kite, I have studied illustrations and photographs. Then it landed on a dead branch in a tall sycamore that must have permitted the raptor an unobstructed view of the entire park. The bird flew with a combination of grace and power that reminded me of a falcon, but I also glimpsed a barred tail that reminded me of one of the accipiter hawks. The instant I saw the bird launch itself into flight, I knew I was watching something out of the ordinary. I didn’t find any warblers, but I did surprise a perched raptor into making a short flight. I wanted to scan the evergreens in that vicinity for Cape May warblers, a migrant that finds the tall conifers to its liking. I found myself in the parking lot at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizabethton around 11 in the morning. I’ll always remember my pandemic spring count, especially for the 46th bird on my tally list for the day. Due to social distancing, many participants counted solo this year, myself included, although a few married couples birded together. The bird flew into view and onto my life list during the annual Spring Bird Count, which was conducted by members and friends of the Elizabethton Bird Club. My most recent “life bird” appeared closer to home and might qualify as my most unexpected life bird ever. During that visit to Huntington Beach State Park, I added a least bittern to my list of “life birds.” I haven’t added a new life bird to my own list since a visit to South Carolina in June 0f 2016. Finding a life bird during the ongoing pandemic brings its own challenges. Unless one travels extensively, life birds can be hard to get once people have added to their lists most of the common birds around their homes. The sighting certainly ranked as unexpected. While taking part in the 77th consecutive Elizabethton Spring Count on Saturday, May 2, I saw something that, for our region, could be considered a little more exotic. It can be any bird species at all that the birder observes for the first time, whether it is a commonplace bird like a song sparrow or something slightly more exotic. If you know many birders, you have likely heard them talk about “life birds.” These are any species that a birder has seen and identified in the wild for the very first time. A solitary Mississippi Kite sits perched in a lakeside tree. These graceful raptors take their prey mostly while on the wing.
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