Hi everyone,
I don't post to this list too often but had a cool experience this past weekend
I wanted to share. We were camping in the Jefferson National Forest @ Boley
Field, on FS road 709 (I think). Not sure if that's in Montgomery or Giles
county. We go there the same weekend every year and hear whip-poor-wills every
time. They are all around in that area but of course we never see them.
However, on Saturday evening, at dusk (it was fairly dark at the campsite which
is in a very narrow valley but the sky was still quite bright), I happened to
see a bird fly directly at us - it flew overhead and then flew off into the
gathering darkness and there was no doubt that it was a whip-poor-will. Sure
enough, in the next 10-20 seconds it started calling from the direction it had
gone in. It was the right size, had the right wing shape and had the "erratic,
moth-like" flight pattern. It's the best look at one I've ever had and I feel
so fortunate to have seen it flying. We were serenaded all night long by
several whips and a Barred owl. LOTS of warblers and other birds around during
the day.
Sarah B. Anderson
Cabin John, Maryland
