Date: 6/12/25 8:51 pm From: Thomas Wurster via groups.io <wurster...> Subject: Re: [LACoBirds] Swallow-tailed kite
Birders,
The Swallow-tailed Kite was present late this afternoon between 4:15 until our 6:00 PM departure. It stayed mostly in the north section of the park along PCH. It perched in two locations for extended periods: in a tall Liquidambar tree (sweet gum) along PCH, in the closed northern parking lot, and later in a smaller Shamel ash tree at the corner of Vermont and PCH. At about 4:15, after an absence of almost 3 hours, Carl Jackson and friends spotted it in flight at the north end. It disappeared for 15-20 minutes then reappeared in flight south, following the east side of lake, more accurately, low over the treetops along the interface of the golf course and lakeside forest lasting. After 10 -15 minutes it returned north and disappeared. A half hour later, Lam-son Vinh spotted it at the north end, perched in the same tall Liquidambar where it was seen early this morning. A half hour later still, it took flight, circled the north end trees and the northwest part of the park before it rose very high over the Kaiser Hospital buildings then disappeared to the north. 10-15 minutes later it reappeared, circling over the north end for 5 more minutes before settling into a Shamel ash tree w/ a dead top on the corner of Vermont and PCH where it posed for the all present. It was still perched there when we left at 6PM.
Via Jerry- just seen briefly in Ash tree near the ranger station, flew over dam near refinery. Most days it seems to return to the lake area in the afternoon after 3pm
Nurit
Encino
From: <LACoBirds...> <LACoBirds...> On Behalf Of Bob Shanman via groups.io
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2025 1:12 PM
To: <socalbirder8...>
Cc: <condor262001...>; <lacobirds...>
Subject: Re: [LACoBirds] Swallow-tailed kite
When I arrived at KMHRP this morning about 11 am, it had just moved from the north end to the trees just east of the south end parking lot. Stayed there for about 15 minutes and took off.
It was last seen circling high (500-1000 ft) above the south end of the park and over the Navy Fuel Depot. One person said that it is pretty consistent in the north end first thing in the morning until 10-11 am, then tends to move south.
Has anyone/can anyone report the the Swallow-tailed Kite present this morning (6/12)?
eBird has not posted since yesterday (Mr. Pierszalowski’s nice shots).
I might he able to come up later today, but a long drive…
Sadly this site doesn't seem to have as much as activity as in the past.
For anyone who is not on ebird or what's app one could do worse than start looking here in the morning,
33°47'23.1"N 118°17'30.2"W. (North end of Ken Malloy Regional Park off Vermont).It spent many hours there on Monday morning and in the afternoon, around 3 to 4, it was flying around the same area.
One interesting aspect I discovered when entering my ebird data was that a kite was seen in mid April in mid Baja
and in west Mexico early to mid April. So perhaps the same bird moving up the wrong coast.
I was able to get a short video (actually ~90 hi-frame rate jpegs) showing a beautiful banked turn.
