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Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
Jaycee Park,
Ganado, Jackson Co., Texas
16 July 2018

Swallow-tailed Kite is a rare and local nesting species in the extreme S.E. corner of Texas. Recently a group of Swallow-tailed Kites was discovered in the small town of Ganado in Jackson Co., Texas. There are at least 8 individual birds in the area, and it has been speculated that nesting has occurred or is occurring now. This morning I went to Jaycee Park in Ganado and was able to take a number of images of these kites perched in a pecan tree. We were standing in a parking lot near some children on a playscape. One of the kites made a dive at me as can be seen in images 1 and 2. We spent most of the morning at this location and enjoyed watching these kites chase one another while vocalizing, feed on the wing (but we could never determine the prey items) and soar high overhead. A great photo opportunity.

I was birding (observations posted on eBird) on a trail at Camp Allen and was surprised to see an Eastern Box Turtle in the pine forest. It was a Three-toed Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina triunguis, a subspecies of the Eastern Box Turtle, as it had three back claws.

I found it along a trail between staff housing lodge and a swimming pool as shown on attached map (photo).

Top of carapace was cracked really bad but healed (shown in photo and in segment of video clip). Plastron had missing piece and large chip.

It appeared to be a female as its underside was totally flat and not concave like mature males. Had reddish eyes like males often have though.

I carried it back to the lodge where our family was staying so that I could take photos. I also used the opportunity to educate the kids about the importance of washing their hands before handling turtles and tortoises to protect the animals from diseases. I also stressed that wild animals should be left in the wild in the exact location where found.

I photographed the turtle and shot a short video as I released it. It wondered off the trail into the pine needles and leaves.