An American Swallow-tailed Kite has been seen on 3 occasions including 2
sightings today about 10 km east of Port Stanley along Dexter Line.
The bird was first reported as passing by on May 5 by a backyard
birder. Today, while driving along Dexter Line at 1:30 p.m. from Port
Stanley to Port Bruce, Ron and Linda Kingswood saw the bird circling low
over the road at almost the same location where it had been seen on May
5. Ron contacted the original finder of the bird and she said she had also
seen the bird toady [sometime this morning] flying low over the fields
between her place on Dexter Line and Lake Erie to the south.
The three sightings within a few 100 metres of each other 2 weeks apart
suggest that the bird has at least temporarily set up a territory. The
alert has gone out to local birders so if any patterns emerge we will post
these.
Dexter Line is the road closest to Lake Erie between Port Stanley [due
south of London, St. Thomas] in the west and Port Bruce [south of Aylmer]
in the east. The sightings have occurred within sight of #44679 Dexter
Line. If you've been to Hawk Cliff, it's only about 5 km to the west of
the kite location. Just to the east of the kite location a gravel
road [Yarmouth Centre Line] cuts south to the lake which will give other
vantage points for scanning along the lake.
Dave Martin
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Harrietsville, ON
