FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Re: Night Hawk in the Day

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 6/19/2006 2:49:59 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
nicknnorwood@xxxxxxxxx writes:
I have  observed many Common Night Hawks flying over parking lots around dusk 
and  after dark but recently I have noticed a few flying in during the day  
time.  When I say "day time" I mean around noon and early  afternoon......Has 
anyone else seen this before?

Nick Norwood
Clarksville, TN




>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Due to work, I'm running way behind on "e" mail but thought, I'd share my  
experiences with these encounters.
 
During breeding season, I find that in my experience, all these mid-day  
fliers are male. I see lots of these on President's Island, in the industrial  
area where there are lots of older buildings with old fashion gravel topped  
roofs. You can find one or two perched out on fences and wires or a bird out 
and  
about just about any day you look for them. I have photographed dozens over 
the  years perched in odd places, including on top of railroad tracks. 
 
One male perched on a traffic light for a couple of seasons in downtown  
Memphis. I have watched these birds flying and circling for a period of  time 
over 
open areas in daytime hours and noticed that they would return over  a 
particular area time and again. These birds usually are not feeding or at  
least I 
could never detect a feeding pattern like seen at dusk.
 
On two occasions in Ensley Bottoms, after long periods of observation, I  was 
able to locate a female on eggs or with young below these areas where these  
males flew. One was in a gravel parking lot, where I have found nests multiple 
 times over the years and another in a Cotton field! A male nighthawk in both 
 instances was passing directly over these hard to see nest sites. The one in 
the  parking lot was next to a crosstie while the one in the open Cotton 
field was  next to a piece of root on top of a row.
 
Recently, I watched two males for a couple of hours around noon, with one  
continually chasing the other. They would evidently get tired and land, one  
behind the other but shortly the pursuer would run up to and jump the other 
bird  
and the acrobatic chase would start all over again. I took a series of photos 
of  this dog fight and figured there was a nest nearby.
 
Just a thought that these daytime Nighthawks are highly territorial males  
that are just patrolling near or over nest sites. During the breeding season 
the 
 female sets the eggs and feeds only a dusk and dawn.  

Good Birding  !!!

Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6298 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135



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