In a message dated 08/26/2000 1:08:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
tweeters at u.washington.edu [Wayne Weber -- I'm on digest] writes:

> 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.

In July I saw nighthawks over the softball field at Bitter Lake park in North
Seattle (just west of Aurora and 130th). They appeared almost precisely at
10:00 pm on each of the about 5 dates in a three week span that I was at the
field, and stayed for a few minutes each time. The numbers varied from only
a couple to more than a dozen. They were chasing the insects attracted by
the lights illuminating the field (which turn off at about 10:35).

I wonder whether the reported numbers reflect the habits of the reporters --
how many of us are crazy enough to be running around at that time of the
night? Wasn't there an observation a year or two ago that peregrines had a
share of yellow-billed cuckoo's for dinner (or a late night snack)
disproportionate to the cuckoo's reported numbers? If I recall correctly,
there was some speculation the cuckoo's were flying at night, when most of us
are doing things other than looking for birds.

Of course, the nighthawk at night is a little like a kingfisher -- if one's
around, it's pretty hard to miss.

Eric Stahlfeld
Burien, WA