Jun 7, 2010

Plenty of Nighthawks

I keep hearing about Common Nighthawks at Crow Valley. After some help, I finally found them.

On the way to Crow Valley I stopped to look for (and listen for) Grasshopper Sparrows.


There were bunches. They have undoubtedly been there the whole time,
me never noticing them!


Female Lark Bunting



Two minutes after getting out at Crow Valley I started looking and "Poof," 


My first Common Nighthawk. I left him and went off in the 
direction of some loud and serious chatter:


Northern Mocking Bird happily commotioning


and


Brown Thrasher causing a bit of a fuss too.

I circled around the campground, finding my first Prairie Warbler
and many MANY mosquitoes. Then another (or the same)
Nighthawk flew towards me:



And landed right beside me. Later I found another one, and eventually 
noticed four or five circling the campground:



Heading towards home, a Cassin's Sparrow:


And of course when it rains, it pours....


Hanging out on County Road 41...














1 comment:

DaveABirding said...

Wow, great Nighthawks, incredible sleeping fox, and a better burrowing owl shot than I have even had the opportunity to mess up, that one that got away must have been spectacular.