Tweeters and Vancouver Birders,

Continuing the "nighthawk thread", I thought you might be interested
in the attached message to OBOL from Steve McDonald, long-time birder
around Eugene, Oregon. The overall picture of Nighthawk status around
Eugene seems very similar to that in W Washington and SW B.C.

Neil Hughes' sighting of a group of 20 nighthawks in July in Delta is
definitely unusual. I've had up to 6 at a time over my house in North
Delta
during the last 3 or 4 summers, but on more than 90% of summer
evenings, none can be seen or heard. If they were breeding, you'd
think they would be seen more consistently. Most sightings of groups
of 6 or more seem to be in August, when they are likely to be
migrants.

For those of you who do not have "Breeding Birds of Washington State"
by Smith, Mattocks, and Cassidy (1997), the comments on Common
Nighthawk are very pertinent. To quote:

"This species is declining in western Washington. Formerly found in
urban areas along the Puget Trough (Jewett et al. 1953). Edson (1908)
reports them as common around Bellingham... and Rathbun (1902)
considers them abundant in the Seattle area. Current data contain very
few records of Common Nighthawks within the Puget Trough, especially
from urban areas, where they used to nest on flat gravel roofs...."

Sincerely,

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


-----Original Message-----
From: Steve McDonald <bigrocketman3 at WEBTV.NET>
To: Multiple recipients of list OBOL <OBOL at BOBO.NWS.ORST.EDU>
Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2000 5:10 AM
Subject: Re: Nighthawks


> Some recent messages have indicated what were rare sightings of
>Nighthawks for the observers and Bob Altman requested some comment on
>their nesting on urban rooftops.
>
> There have been fewer of these birds in the upper Willamette
Valley
>in most years recently, compared to numerous sightings of them I made
>prior to 20 years ago. However, this year, I have been seeing and
>hearing them often in the Eugene-Springfield area. I have even
heard
>them calling in the middle of the day recently, which is unusual.
On a
>trip into the foothills, southeast of Jasper in late June, I
encountered
>at least a dozen flying at dusk, over recently logged areas.
>
> Prior to the 1970s, there were many that nested on flat roofs of
>downtown buildings here. But, I believe that Crow predation has
forced
>them to nest in other types of places. Some years ago, Crows were
>unknown in urban areas here, as they were shot, poisoned, dynamited
and
>otherwise widely persecuted. I haven't been walking around on any
>flat roofs lately, but perhaps next year, a survey of possible
Nghthawk
>nesting in such places, would be a worthwhile activity.
>
> I recall a bounty being paid by the county on Crows in the past.
>They developed such an aversion to people, that they wouldn't come
near
>them. This has all changed, with new attitudes and laws to protect
>them and they are gradually becoming more trusting. Now, thousands
of
>them gather in town and I imagine they have had an impact on many
>nesting species, even though I believe they eat so many insects and
>other pests, they are basically beneficial to have around.
>
>Steve McDonald
>Eugene-Springfield, Oregon
>bigrocketman3 at webtv.net