The Swallow-tailed Kite is most definitely one of, if not my absolute favorite bird. While Cedar Waxwings stand firm as my favorite of the “common” species, Swallow-tailed Kites are something special. Graceful, elegant, beautiful, rare – especially in these parts.

Although there’s only about 5 records of this bird for the state, its certainly a vagrant that I daydream about regularly – especially during strong southerly flows of early and late summer. Maybe an early one from the Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch? Maybe a late summer bird over Scarborough Marsh or the Sanford Sewerage facility? Or, perhaps just dumb luck looking up while driving somewhere. North Yarmouth’s Old Townhouse Park, however, was not on the list.

But yet, there I was late Friday morning, scanning over Old Townhouse Park from the old Gillespie Farm building on Route 9, and there was a friggin’ Swallow-tailed Kite! Just as graceful, elegant, and beautiful as I remembered! Snagging dragonflies out of the air, munch on them while on the wing, and then diving down after the next. Forget the fact that this was a “state bird” for me – this is one of those times when lists REALLY don’t matter – this is just too cool of a bird, and I was really, really ecstatic. (Unfortunately, I had left my camera at the store.)

A short while earlier, Lysle Brinker had called the store. Arthur Stackhouse had spotted a Swallow-tailed Kite over the Toddy Brook Golf Course at about 10:30am while driving home. Arthur, cell phone-less for the day, raced home and called Lysle, who called the store and sent out an email, telling everyone to “look up!” A short while later, Lysle called again. Arthur had spotted it again at 11:15, again over the golf course. It was now a little after noon.

I was about to step out the door to get lunch, and decided that Toddy Brook could be considered the scenic route to the Old World Deli in Freeport. OK, that’s not only a stretch, but it’s in the complete opposite direction. Oh well, why not give it a try?

I saw Arthur in the driveway of the Anderson Nursery, so I pulled over. Arthur told me the story – and how he had nearly wrecked his car when he spotted it. He also mentioned the most intriguing fact that the supervisor, I believe it was, of the nursery, has seen this bird for up to two days. So, it’s hanging out in the area!?

Arthur and I chatted, scanning the skies as we spoke. Arthur asks, “So, where are you going on your birdwalk tomorrow.” My reply is, “I think we’ll start right here . . . and then we could go over to Old Townhouse Par . . . .” Arthur and I looked at each other. A few minutes earlier, he had mentioned that he last saw the bird heading “that way,” which happened to be the way of the park. Open fields, a good vista, and a dragonfly-filled slow-moving river. I was in the car before I finished my thought.

I drove over, pulled into the parking lot of the old Gillespie Farm building, overlooking the park, the river, and out towards Bradbury Mountain. I began to scan. An Osprey … 2 Turkey Vultures . . .a Swallow-tailed Kite. . . A SWALLOW-TAILED KITE!!! (As much as I love a good ID challenge, there’s nothing wrong with one of those species that looks like nothing else in the world!)

I called Lysle, who was on his way. He was almost to the golf course. Arthur arrived. He jumped out, looked at the bird, and I shook his hand and offered a hearty thanks. Lysle pulled up, and in one sweeping, fluid motion, came flying out of his car, brought his binoculars to his face, saw the bird, high-fived me, then Arthur, and returned the binoculars to his face. A worker at the building was walking over, noticed our childlike exuberance, and noted, “Yup, there must be something pretty good over here.”

Yeah, you could say that.

Epilogue.
About ½ hour after I arrived (at about 12:35), I last saw it dipping down below treeline. The cell phone trees were working overtime, and birders were on their way from around the area (as far as New Hampshire and Waterville). Unfortunately, as of 1:45 when I left, the bird had not reappeared. I returned to the store – finally having picked up a lunch – and Jeannette abruptly departed for North Yarmouth. Unfortunately, the bird did not return, and when she left at 4:00pm, it had not bee spotted again. Birders began to comb the area, but the Kite show was over for the day. Jeannette and I even spent the sunset looking out from the south lookout of Bradbury Mountain, just in case.

Saturday morning saw a number of birders stationed at the old farm building beginning early in the morning. The vigil continued through lunchtime, and some birders were still scouring the surrounding countryside at 3:30pm. Our store’s Saturday morning birdwalk group even got in on the fun, using the kite as our excuse for visiting Old Townhouse Park this morning.

But alas, the kite, and its birder paparazzi, has moved on.