Peak into a swallow-tail kite nest

By Pat Miketinac

This photo of swallow-tailed kite chick was taken through a 22X telescope with a smartphone set on 8X. The nest is 80’ high in a pine tree, 160’ from the telescope. We have observed adult kites feeding frogs to the chicks. We can still tell the fledglings from the adults because their tails are shorter. They now roost in trees not far from the nest tree, and are still being fed by the adults so far. The scope picture on the right is the very first flight of one of the chicks early on June 1st. The other flew two days later.

swallow-tail kite photos

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