Snail Kites

Harns Marsh, Florida

January 20, 2014

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Harns Marsh is a reliable site for seeing Snail Kites. Andy and I went there in January 2013 and saw six of them, but they weren't close, and I wanted to go back there to try to get better photos of this rare Florida species. When we arrived, we didn't see any of them, but after hiking the four-mile boundary of the marsh area where we saw them last year, I spotted a male Snail Kite in the distance - farther away than last year. At about the same distance from us, I saw a female and a juvenile Snail Kite.


Male Snail Kite


Female and juvenile Snail Kites

After a few minutes, the juvenile took off and started flying to our right.


Juvenile Snail Kite


Juvenile Snail Kite

The juvenile Snail Kite then saw us, turned, and flew directly at us to get a better look at who were were, and finally flew almost directly over our heads.


Juvenile Snail Kite


Juvenile Snail Kite


Juvenile Snail Kite


Juvenile Snail Kite


Juvenile Snail Kite


Juvenile Snail Kite


Juvenile Snail Kite


Juvenile Snail Kite

Click here to go the next Florida 2014 photo section: Tricolored Heron and Pied-billed Grebe.

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