I have enjoyed the many nighthawk reports and stories since my Aug 25 post.
I guess they are all over Ohio now, preparing to migrate.
as a historical note, back in the 1960s in the Youngstown area, growing up
and several years before getting serious about birds, nighthawks were among
the few species I knew. in my recollection, they would circle the suburban
sky
most summer evenings, noticeable first by their beeps. they were as common
in summer (seemingly) as robins and blue jays. but for the past 30+ years
in our suburban Akron area they are rarities.
Marty Cohen
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, Aug 29, 2016 at 10:56 AM
Subject: [Ohio-birds] Nighthawks in Ohio
To: [log in to unmask]
Thanks to the many folks who have been reporting on nighthawk movements.
I hope more reports of migration and breeding will be shared with
others. I checked with the Birds of North America text, where it is
admitted that "relatively little is known about this bird.*
Most Ohioans see few nighthawks in spring: it seems flocks seen are
small, often passing quite high up, and unwilling to linger. The fall
migration is another phenomenon entirely, when flocks in four figures
have often been recorded, even though they are not so often seen in
recent years. These flocks apparently depend on insects--queen ants,
caddisflies, moths, true bugs--preferred (one stomach examined had 2175
flying ants but also 500 mosquitoes [BNA]).
It seems universally acknowledged that these birds less often nest in
Ohio, which any careful observer over a few decades old can confirm. As
for the fall migration we're now seeing, their numbers are declining--I
cited some Columbus numbers in my post a few days ago, and other
locations report similar losses.
I couldn't find certain basic information about the fall migration.
Do
these birds migrate over the water of the Great Lakes, or do they work
the shorelines? One record involved 16,496 seen in one spot along the
shoreline in Minnesota; perhaps the migrant hordes eschew open lake
waters and prefer shorelines, as well as inland lakes and rivers. Are
boaters well offshore seeing lots of nighthawks these days? Another way
to ask the question might be "where are the bugs?"
These are fascinating birds, and their gradual disappearance is
another
bummer.
Bill Whan
Columbus
*As for "the Birds of North America." this valuable but expensive text
can be found in most good libraries, but it is often improved via new
research and discoveries available only on the electronic version. Good
libraries will provide internet access to the latest version of BNA
accounts. Check with your library.
______________________________________________________________________
Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/members
hip.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
______________________________________________________________________
Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
|
