August 2013

The Good Work Continues
Last month we called on Citizen Scientists to help us document any evidence of kite nesting on More Mesa. That call has been answered … and with some very good news!  We now have documented evidence that there are almost certainly two nesting pairs of kites on More Mesa this year. First, not one, as previously reported, but two fledglings have been seen on the west side of More Mesa.  These two were recently observed hunting with their parents.  And now, we have photographs of two fledglings on east More Mesa.  And, in this case the two adults were also observed hunting nearby.

Although these numbers are smaller than average, they are very gratifying, especially in light of the drought conditions we have been experiencing.  Indeed, most of the historical kite nests in the Goleta Valley have been abandoned this year, making chicks produced on More Mesa all the more important. We thank Wayne Kimbell for the eastern fledgling photographs below.