Nighthawk - varied

ABC Wednesday
April 12th, 2017

The letter is N for Nighthawk

Here, in town, I never see this bird

but my memories recall warm summer evenings on the farm

when a community of  Common Nighthawks would swoosh down 

the road and through the orchards, gathering up the evening insects 

with their white bars flashing as they flew in graceful loops,

their sharp peenot call echoing through the twilight.

So beautiful and impressive - they were a part of our life there.

The Common Nighthawks are slender birds with very long, pointed wings,

and medium long tails.

It is well camouflaged in gray, white, buff and back

with a V shaped white throat and striking white wing bars.

When migrating or feeding over insect-rich areas

nighthawks may gather in large flocks

as they did in our orchard territory.

They are most visible when they forage on the wing

and their call is unforgettable.

At least to me.....

Mostly they fly in the mornings and the evenings.

During the day they roost on a tree branch, a fence post,

or on the ground, where they are most difficult to see.

If they were to follow south along the road for a few

miles  they would cross the US/Canada border into Washington State

and do their wonderful acrobatics in the Ghost Town

of Nighthawk which I am sure was named after them.

It is Nighthawk country....

An old mining town from the early 1900's, - it still had a general store

in the 1950's and Charles was friends with the Storekeeper,

but since that time the buildings have fallen into sad disrepair

and as far as I know the surrounding ranchers do their shopping elsewhere.

We are not finished with Nighthawk...

There is a famous painting by Edward Hopper

depicting some night hawks (or owls)

gathered around a table in an all night diner....

and a couple of poems inspired by the painting.

All sorts of planes with Nighthawk attached to them.....

There are numerous (numerous!) bands called "Nighthawk"

but the one that I enjoyed most was a Dixie Land Band.

For more interesting Ns visit here at ABC Wednesday

with many thanks to those who maintain this meme.