Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Nighthawks on the River

This picture didn't come out as well as I had hoped. The most visible nighthawk looks like a speck of dust above the mountains.

As dusk starts to fall, hundreds of nighthawks congregate over the river, feasting on insects. They swoop hither and thither, and can even hover for a split-second as they snatch a tasty morsel out of the air. They spend most of their time within 3 feet of the water, and sometimes they fly so close to the surface, I don't see how they keep from getting their wings wet.

This is an early-summer "Sign of the Season" for us. It happens every year at this time.