Nighthawks

The other night I was out in the meadow taking some sunset pictures — a beautifully serene setting. A light breeze, songbirds in the distance, no sign of humans other than myself, and swallows floating around above. As I squatted down to get a good angle, what sounded like some kind of fluttering pterodactyl scream came zooming down at me and scared me half to death. Turns out they weren't swallows, but nighthawks:



I'd never heard anything like it before.

Here on the East Coast, the nighthawks form up into large migration groups at dusk in late August.  On a good night, we may see hundreds coursing through the sky eating insects.  And yes, the calls are cool!

Love hearing their calls as I then know that one set of the mosquito eaters are on duty until the night shift bats come out and start work.  :)