Tonight I went to Discovery Park to see if I could spot anymore Common Nighthawks. I didn't have any luck until 9:05pm, while in the south meadow. A silent Common Nighthawk took a long stiff bend over my left shoulder and off over the bluff. I decided to follow and went to the edge of the bluff, where there was still ample light for a panoramic view down across the base of the bluff and over to the tops of the surrounding trees. I was treated to fifteen minutes of the Nighthawk hunting in this area right in front of me, taking various loops around the perimeter created by bluff and trees. On several occasions it banked ten feet away, reaching the apex of its flight and heading downward again. The Nighthawk did not call the whole time. About ten minutes later I had a close-proximity Nighthawk fly-by in the middle of the south meadow; so close I could hear the its wings cut the air. Also saw two Barn Owls working the meadow, one which didn't see me until
it was maybe fifteen feet away. It got a bit startled and changed directions quickly, causing its feathers to catch the air and make a faint but audible sound. It was the first time I had heard an owl's feathers make noise in flight. Anyway, it seems like a good time to get to Discovery's south meadow at dusk if you want to see some Common Nighthawks.?

Jordan Gunn
Seattle, WA
uwjag21 at yahoo dot com ?