Nighthawks are common summer residents in our neighborhood, along the
Sound northeast of Lacey. I've lived back east, where their calls
were a familiar sound on summer evenings, but I've never seen them as
conspicuous as they are here. At any time of day during late June or
July, I can expect four or five nighthawks flying around our yard or
perching in the trees. This seems to be a very local phenomenon,
perhaps related to the nearby clearcuts (courtesy of Weyerhouser and
Vicwood corporations) where they fairly swarm. It is unusual to see
one in Lacey proper, only six miles away.

Haven't seen one yet this year, but expect to any day now. They
normally arrive during the first week of June.


Eric Kraig
Olympia, WA
kraig at wln.com