Actually, that's a pretty keen observation, Bill, on the nighthawks in
Illinois.  This same system was responsible for low temps in the Great Plains
yesterday and last night.  Winds were already channeling out of Canada across
the Plains.  Additionally, there is a much greater concentration of Common
Nighthawks in the West than anywhere east of the Mississippi (save for
Florida).  For the Illinois birds I would assume were normal migrants PLUS a
greater number of birds pulled from areas like western South Dakota and Nebraska
where breeding distributions of this species are higher.  See the following
link:

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/htm96/map617/ra4200.html

Again, thank Bill.  A very interesting observation.

-greg



----- Original Message ----
From: Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]>
To: Greg Miller <[log in to unmask]>
Cc: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Fri, September 3, 2010 9:19:13 AM
Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Interesting weather this weekend

Thanks to Greg for the fearless forecast. I wonder if he can tie this coming
weather to widespread sightings of over 16,000 nighthawks over Chicago
yesterday: see many posts at
http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/IBET.html#1283472326
Bill Whan
Columbus

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