While I have been out on bike rides lately I have seen a couple of neat birds. One is a lifer that I have yet to capture, Quail. The other is this, a Nighthawk. These I usually only saw out on Konza Prairie but they seem to frequent a farm filed I ride by fairly often. I got this capture a couple of weeks ago. They are fairly distinctive because of the white marks on their wings and also the noise they make while diving after prey.
When I am out on Konza Praiire I am usually treated to views of these birds. I see them around my area ever now and then as well. This is a Nighthawk that was hovering above me several times while I was out on the Prairie in early June. They make an interesting noise when they dive for food which is usually your first clue that they are around.
While I was out on Konza Prairie walking to see the sunset, I was treated to the sight of a Nighthawk bird feeding quite close and then hovering right above me. They are very cool birds, I think. They hover looking for something to eat and then they dive and make this interesting noise (created by the air rushing over it's wings) as they go down to catch whatever they have found. It's quite fun to watch. They are usually out hunting at dawn or dusk. It is neither nocturnal nor a hawk so the name is a misnomer. They make no nest but they and their young are easily camouflaged on the ground by their color. They have one of the longest migration routes of all North American birds and can be frequently found out of range.
