For most of the afternoon, around 1:00 to at least after 5:30, the bird sat in a tree in a yard adjacent to the north side of the Stratford Point property. A crowd had gathered in the area trying to catch a glimpse of it buried in the leaves and branches. It kept itself in the shade, probably as a way to rest and keep cool on the increasingly hot and humid summer day. It certainly seems likely that it will be here for another day. I hope that it will be as cooperative as it usually is early tomorrow. For the past two mornings, it has put on a show for thrilled Connecticut birders and many excited visitors who made long journeys from neighboring states. It seems to wander and rest a bit more in the afternoon hours.
Yesterday some of us were wondering how much the White-tailed Kite had gotten to eat. No one I spoke to had noticed it catching any prey, whether it be rodent or insect. However, a couple of photographers were able to see that it had in fact found a couple meals. Below are two photos from Paul Fusco.

A close-up of the prey, a vole:

Looks as if the White-tailed Kite is doing wonderfully.
Photos © Paul Fusco
Good photographs from Paul. These are the first photos from which I was able to detect the brown color of the 2 outermost primary feathers, which help to age the bird. It is also the first evidence I have seen that the bird is finding and catching it's favored prey - small mouse/vole-sized mammals.
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