Nighthawks Have Also Returned

There were two nighthawks (sometimes called bull bats) flying low and hunting insects over the house at dusk last evening. This was my first sighting of the nighthawks this year - their return is a sure sign that summer has begun here. These birds apparently winter in South America. Later in the summer I've observed as many as 20 to 40 birds within a couple of hundred yards of the house. Their erratic flight as they pick-off insects appears similar to bats and is probably where the bull bat name came from. They are quite amazing to watch as they fly very low and fast, somehow avoiding collisions.