Date: 6/26/26 11:19 am From: Mark Mayfield <markherb...> Subject: Re: Kite kettles
I have lately noticed the kites on their usual late summer high wire perches as of at least yesterday along north Seth Child Blvd in Manhattan. There were 15-20 birds but I couldn’t assess their ages in the light while driving by.
Mark Mayfield
> On Jun 25, 2026, at 7:42 PM, G & J Fenton Friesen <friesen.fenton...> wrote:
>
> This email originated from outside of K-State.
>
>
> I had a kettle of 27 the other day and most were missing at least one
> flight feather making me think they were not HY birds.
>
> Gregg
>
>> On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 2:11 PM EUGENE YOUNG <
>> <000006665a95b6b5-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>>
>> I've had large number over Ark City during summers previously, 20-30,
>> usually on calm late afternoons when birds are soaring in search of
>> high-flying insects, ex. odonates. It could be weather related, but also
>> insect emergence I suspect. Most of the injured bird reports are 2nd yr
>> birds, though there were a few juveniles (seemed earlu) I saw on a post,
>> or someone sent me and asked.
>>
>> Gene
>>
>> Eugene A. Young
>>
>>
>> Agriculture and Biological Sciences
>> 1220 E. Grand, PO Box 310
>> Tonkawa, OK, 74653-0310
>> Phone: 580-628-6482
>> Fax: 580-628-6209
>> E-Mail: <Eugene.Young...>
>> Website: www.noc.edu
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Birds & Their Habitats in Kansas <KSBIRD-L...> On
>> Behalf Of Max Thompson
>> Sent: Monday, June 22, 2026 1:15 PM
>> To: <KSBIRD-L...>
>> Subject: Re: Kite kettles
>>
>> I am not sure what is going on with the Mississippi kites. I saw a fairly
>> large kettle over Winfield the other day. I know we had a big windstorm the
>> other night that blew bird nests out of trees and maybe the kites lost
>> their nests i'm not sure. It is certainly uncharacteristic of them to be
>> kettles this size this early. There were quite a number of them sitting on
>> power lines this morning. We do not expect that this time of year
>> either.Max Thompson
>> On Monday, June 22, 2026 at 07:33:37 AM CDT, mike rader <
>> <mike_rader...> wrote:
>>
>> Jim,
>>
>> I was leaving Pratt last Thursday and had over 50 between town and Iuka
>> over a harvested wheat field. Seems early to me as well as there are not
>> likely juveniles out yet like we see later in the summer.
>>
>> Mike Rader
>> Pratt, KS
>> ________________________________
>> From: Birds & Their Habitats in Kansas <KSBIRD-L...> on
>> behalf of James Nickel <jbnickelk2a...>
>> Sent: Monday, June 22, 2026 6:56 AM
>> To: <KSBIRD-L...> <KSBIRD-L...>
>> Subject: Kite kettles
>>
>> Yesterday, Becky and I were bicycling from home to Walton, and back. In
>> between we saw a couple of Mississippi Kite groups soaring. They were both
>> visible from the same spot. I estimated the combined groups were around
>> 40-60 birds. I don’t ever remember seeing Kites in this large of groups,
>> this time of year. Have other people had this experience? It seems
>> irregular. Jim Nickel Peabody, Ks Sent from my iPad For KSBIRD-L archives
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>
> --
> Gregg & Joanna Fenton Friesen
> Newton, KS
>
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