More Miss. Kites & Western Kingbirds in DSM metro area

[Doug & Nina Harr]

After seeing a Mississippi Kite soaring high above the paved trail at Ashworth Park this morning (which I sent out as an earlier email), I drove down to SW 14th St, south of MLK Parkway, to look for the Western Kingbirds  

Denny Thompson reported seeing a week or so ago.  Three WEKIs were perching on the power lines and allowed me to take some photos (one attached).   

Then I moved on over to Sheridan Park in the east part of Des Moines, along Hull Ave., and saw another Mississippi Kite soaring over the park twice in about 20 minutes, although not perching in the tree Jill Armentrout reported earlier.  Next, I went up to Ankeny to purchase the cheapest gas in the metro area, and there were two Western Kingbirds perched on the powerline along the east side of SE Delaware Ave., near the large Fleet Farm store.

All the locations where the Mississippi Kites and Western Kingbirds were today is where they have been seen for multiple years.

Doug Harr

Ogden