To all:
It is quite normal and actually fairly common to see nighthawks flying in
daylight. This is especially true in early morning and more so in the
remaining couple of hours before dark (their stomachs start calling I am
sure). On overcast days they will be abroad at any time, particularly after
a couple of rainy days when flying food has been more scarce.
Most of the literature addresses this, although some field guides these days
omit it due to space restrictions, more so with the same page text/pix
format now in use in nearly all pubs.
However, many field guides do state they are active in daylight hours.
I believe at least Sibley, Kaufman, Peterson, and Robin's, among others,
indicate daylight activity for nighthawks. Certainly older versions of such
field guides cover this. Not many authors address their staying up come
daybreak, but most cite "often active in daylight" and Peterson refers to
them, nighthawks that is, as "aberrant goatsuckers," often abroad by day
(aberrant being different from other goatsuckers). While not stated
directly, this also includes the other nighthawks - Lesser and Antillean.
But the other nightjars, Buff-collared, Paraque and the Whips, Chucks and
Poor "Wills" are strictly nocturnal, at least in my belief as I've only see
them (in daylight) when flushed from a sleeping limb or roost. Or a nest.
The other part of the discussion here perhaps should be about the more
infrequent observation of spring passage migrant nighthawks vice the larger
concentrations of fall ones. While they are abroad in daytime in the spring,
it is far more uncommon. This is probably due to the general differences in
the migration patterns in the two seasons. In the fall more birds get up and
go at the same time, like a really brisk night with a NW wind. And while
nighthawks do stay up, they mostly end up sleeping then, so when they get up
the next day if it is flying weather you can see several to many in the air.
Also, if they are in a roost for the night, they sort of wake up together
and rise and mill around a bit, stretching their wings I guess, and then
sort of disperse after a bit. These just out of bed birds are always lower
and in tighter groups and then rise higher in the air and go in all
directions. I think many small flying insects are wafted high on thermals.
In the spring migration birds in general follow the watercourses once they
land and they sort of eat their way North (with a day time rest somewhere)
and thus, become much more dispersed throughout the day so numbers are lower
later in the day.
I always go to Walmat or a shopping center or other place with lots of
lights in the parking areas. Get some nesting/resident birds over summer and
the migrants during migration and they are down nice and low where the bugs
are coming to the lights.
Mike O'Brien
Fairfield, Adams County, PA
On Sun, Oct 4, 2009 at 8:23 AM, Richard Rieger <appleadayonsite@xxxxxxx>wrote:
A few years back, the Big Sit Circle @ Huntley Meadows had a daytime
Nighthawk as well. It was early in the morning, but the sun was up. Don't
have the date in front of me, but Big Sit Day is typically the Sunday of
Columbus Day weekend.
Rich Rieger
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