[obol] Early Common Nighthawk records

From: Noah Strycker <noah.strycker@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Tim Rodenkirk <garbledmodwit@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 26 May 2013 13:07:52 -0700
Hi Tim and Tim,

I suspect that if more birders visited Malheur in early and mid-May (when
that area tends to be woefully underbirded), we'd get a few more reports of
early-arriving nighthawks. Duncan apparently had one at the Field Station
on May 8 this year. Last year, Bob Arrigoni (from Ashland) reported one at
Summer Lake on May 7. There are a couple of reliable-sounding eBird reports
from Idaho as early as May 7. I don't know of any earlier dates than those.

The first report from Harney County last year was May 18, a much more
expected arrival date, and I had a nighthawk a couple days later at HQ on
May 20. The influx of birding talent doesn't usually arrive there until
Memorial Day weekend, so I wouldn't be surprised if a few early nighthawks
slip under the radar each year, a week or so before Memorial Day.

But May 3 is a truly exceptional date. There are ZERO eBird reports of
Common Nighthawks in California before May 15, where you'd expect them to
arrive earlier than here in Oregon. Lesser Nighthawks arrive more than a
month earlier than Commons in California, where both are migratory. Here is
a 
chart<http://ebird.org/ebird/GuideMe?speciesCodes=comnig%2Clesnig&reportType=species&bMonth=01&bYear=1900&eMonth=12&eYear=2013&parentState=US-CA&countries=US&states=US-CA&getLocations=states&continue.x=57&continue.y=13>showing
the frequency of both in California, where any nighthawk seen
before mid-May is expected to be a Lesser.

So, yes, a Common Nighthawk on May 3 would be one of the most incredible
bird records from Harney County in quite a while, actually more unusual
than a Lesser Nighthawk.

Good birding -

Noah





On Sun, May 26, 2013 at 11:47 AM, Tim Rodenkirk <garbledmodwit@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> Tim,
>
> Here is what the Birds of Oregon account says for Common Nighthawk:
>
> "Typically arrives in the last week of May in e. Oregon and the first week
> of June in w. Oregon. In e. Oregon, average arrival near Bend is 29 May
> (n=15, C. Miller, unpublished data) and 24 May at Malheur NWR with little
> variation between the earliest (20 May) and the latest (28 May) dates
> (Littlefield 1990a)."
>
> Tim I suspect there is warm spells every year, that is nothing unusual.
>  Having a bird on the 3rd is not just a little early, it is way early.
>  This species is occasionally mistaken (I would assume) as being seen in
> April and early May on the west side.
>
> I don't know if there are any other (reliable) earlier reports (before the
> 20th) from Harney Co. but all I can say is wow!?
>
> Tim Rodenkirk
> Coos Bay
>
>   ------------------------------
>  *From:* Tim Blount <harneybirder@xxxxxxxxx>
> *To:* Tim Rodenkirk <garbledmodwit@xxxxxxxxx>
> *Sent:* Sunday, May 26, 2013 11:29 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [obol] Re: Malheur Update
>
> Hi Tim,
> There was no doubt it was a Common Nighthawk. I remember we had very warm
> weather that week.
> Tim
> On May 26, 2013 11:26 AM, "Tim Rodenkirk" <garbledmodwit@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Tim,
>
> Your sighting is unprecedented. In fact, it is so early it would be one
> people would want details on.  Most early may C. Nighthawk records are
> pretty suspect.  They do not arrive here on the coast until the last few
> days of May or  early June.  I think maybe the earliest eastside record is
> the 20th.  Migrants earlier than that are very suspect.  Lesser Nighthawk
> is far more likely that early but is a mega-rarity.
>
>
> Tim
>
>   ------------------------------
>
>
>
[obol] Early Common Nighthawk records

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