This evening around 7:15, while driving home from the hawkwatch at Harveys
Knob, I was coming across Rt. 220 Alt. in Botetourt County, heading north, when
I spotted several nighthawks overhead. I found a place to pull over, and when
I got out of the car I could see scores of nighthawks in every direction. They
were fairly low, and all actively feeding over the highway and a pasture on
the opposite side of the road. It was impossible to count them, as they swirled
around in every direction, but I estimated there were easily 300 - 400. They
would drift off to the SE almost out of sight, and then suddenly head back in
my direction. I stayed about 15 minutes and there were still over a hundred in
view when I left. A few miles up the road, as I was going through Cloverdale,
I encountered another 50 or so, also actively feeding. I have seen this many,
or more, several years ago, but they were migrating in a large group, with
none of them feeding. This evening, seeing so many feeding together was a
spectacular sight!
Mike Purdy
Roanoke, VA.
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