Lucky you. I saw one in our neighborhood, but I didn't have any binocs. I called a conservation office and described it to him for an ID. He said you will usually find them near a wetland area and there was a bog nearby. The kite sat on the top of a telephone pole and would fly in small circles around the pole and SCREAM. I loved it. I have only heard that on TV and usually they are eagles.

You know, it's funny how we notice oddball animals like that. I mean, when you consider how many birds fly by overhead every day, it's a wonder we ever look up at precisely the right moment to notice the strange ones. Take birdfeeders...several years ago, during the climax of my love for sunflower seed and binoculars and a window seat, I kept careful watch over the activity in the yard, and thought I pretty well knew which birds could be expected and at what point in the migration, and generally prided myself on being familar with my local birds. Then out of the blue came the blues. One morning there they were, about 5 blue grosbeaks. Had had plenty of evening grosbeaks, and rose-breasteds, but never even heard of a blue grosbeak. I knew these were not indigo buntings and out came the books.
And they were there the next day and gone the day after that. Never before and never since have I seen a blue grosbeak here, but I guess it's just that so many different kinds slip past unnoticed.
A Mississippi kite....wow. Defintely would be a big thing for me, too! Are they the ones with the wonderfully curved beak, for eating snails I believe? I'm jealous.
I could see myself becoming one of those bird crazies, the ones doing the counts at 3 am and that run around the globe with a life-list. Yep, I could get that involved!

This isn't the snail kite. According to the books, Mississipi kites eat flying insects like dragonflies and cicadas. I saw this one in perfect morning light. It was light gray on the head and back with the head almost white. The front edges of the wings were black with red highlights - just like in the National Geographic bird field guide. The tail was black and no longer than the wing tips. When it flew overhead, it was mostly gray with the black tail and black at the wing tips. They fly like falcons. I was working in the garden yesterday afternoon, heard an odd call and looked up to see two fly overhead. Maybe they've moved into the neighborhood. One dipped its wings and flicked its tail. Suddenly, it turned ninety degrees and almost stopped to hover over me for a moment. I guess crazy gardener is on its life list now.

Dirt girl, don't know where you are in Illinois, but I live near Troy and I have a Mississippi Kite hanging out in the woods near my house. Unfortunately, there is a developer in the area trying to tear out this woodland and plop a bunch of houses in there. Help save the trees!!!! It is a gorgeous bird!

Hey there Poison Ivy! Stay away from me on the forums...don't wan't to have to chane my screen name to missblisters! :)
Have relatives in Troy and that is one thing they always mention...how much it has become just another satellite of St. Louis. My aunt said years ao no one ever bothered locking their doors or anything but those times are long gone. I feel for your concerns about the impending development. Seems nothing is safe from the dozers and developers anymore...wish I had advice for you, or someone to call and see if there is a citizen petition for green developing in that area. Some developers do try to incorporate the existing trees and so on into their plans but there is going to be degradation no matter what the plan.
It's a paradox...I sit here typing about loss of wild spaces from inside my own home which in being built degraded a wild space.
My best advice: watch that kite as often as you can. Sketch it, keep a journal of its behavior, make a home video of it or get those binocs with the camera built in and take stills of it...anything you can to preserve it at least for yourself. Then you'll never lose it.