"FLYING KITES"

These birds are too cool. They arrive in February or March in Florida and spend the summer gracefully hunting the skies. They feed primarily on insects and arboreal vertebrates, including frogs, lizards, and snakes. My first sighting this year was March 2nd in central Florida, and I really look forward to photographing these graceful hunters. They are easily recogized by their deeply forked tail and contrasting black and white color. Due to urbanization the numbers have declined over the years...Go Figure. A few areas that are currently protected that Kites inhabit are Big Cypress National Preserve, Lake Woodruff NWR, Everglades N.P,  and Apalachicola N.F. to name a few. These birds sometimes gather in large pre-migratory roosts before thier journey to South America...They are quite social for a Raptor (Bird of Prey) and will often soar and hunt in groups. In three years I have never seen one perched, they seem to fly forever. If you would like to learn more about this species or photograph them, contact me through my webpage:
http://www.wildwoollyphotos.com/ ©