Friday, May 5, 2006

Night birds

There are not as many birds calling at night as during the day, but there are at least three. We hear the skreek of the common nighthawk, the eerie pulsing staccato of the lesser nighthawk, and the chuck-will’s-widow.

The chuck-will’s widow. Strictly nocturnal. Identified him by his call. It wasn’t too hard, the call is distinctive, and there were about fifteen of them scattered around. Their calls sound something like this:

Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo. Chck-woo-woo.

They NEVER get tired! And regardless of where you are and where you shine the flashlight, they’re always just in the next tree or bush.

We finally did see one, eye glowing orange in the light. Another fluttered overhead in the dark.

New bird.