[TN-Bird] Re: Night Hawk in the Day
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: nicknnorwood@xxxxxxxxx, tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 06:53:24 EDT
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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