Joe and Tweeters,

Common Nighthawks (despite their name) are certainly a rare bird these
days in western Washington, southwestern B.C., and as far south as
Eugene, Oregon. I am surprised that this is your first-ever sighting
west of the Cascades. However, this underlines the dramatic decline of
nighthawks, from common 30 years ago to rare today. A well-known
Oregon birder recently referred, in a posting to OBOL, to his
first-ever sighting on the "floor" of the Willamette Valley.

At the same time, I believe Common Nighthawks are still breeding in
the Vancouver area, although they are rare and local. We get a
scattering of reports throughout June and July. Every year in August,
there is a sharp increase in sightings, with several reports of flocks
of up to 10 or 20 birds. I believe you are correct that these late
August sightings are migrants. I will forward a recent report of such
a flock from the Vancouver area.

Many people have speculated on the reasons for the decline in
nighthawks throughout that part of the Northwest west of the Cascades.
There may be no single reason, but the one that makes most sense to me
is increased predation by crows. Crow numbers around Vancouver have
increased by a factor of at least 3 since 1970, and crow predation has
a major effect on several bird species. I don't subscribe to the
notion that a decrease in flying insects, because of air pollution, is
a factor; the swallows seem to be doing fine.

At the same time, there seems to be no decline in nighthawks EAST of
the Cascades. A recent report of a flock of 200 to 300 nighthawks at
Kamloops underlines this point.

Sincerely,

Wayne C. Weber
Kamloops and Delta, BC
wayne_weber at bc.sympatico.ca


-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Mackie <jmackie at cc.wwu.edu>
To: tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Thursday, August 24, 2000 11:07 AM
Subject: Bellingham Common Nighthawks


>Hi Tweets,
>
>Thought I'd report what seemed to me an unusual sighting here in
Bellingham.
>On Tuesday evening, the 22nd, about 7:00, I saw 8 Common Nighthawks
moving
>to the south above Boulevard Park on Bellingham Bay. This is my first
>sighting of CONI on the west side of the Cascades. I know I've seen
other
>reports of west side sightings, but it seemed unusual this far north,
>especially right on the water. Anyone else seeing what I presume are
>migrating CONI's?
>
>Also, early the same morning, at 6:45, I had an adult female Cooper's
Hawk
>perched up in the morning sun on top of Hohl's Feed store on Railroad
Avenue
>in downtown Bellingham. She had a full crop. Not a pigeon in sight.
>
>Good birding,
>Joe Mackie
>jmackie at cc.wwu.edu
>