The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-21
BIRDS THAT FLY BY NIGHT.
Whole Covies Preparing for Winter
Homes in the South.
from the Hartford

(frOm HlftfOrd llneS.)
Almost any afternoon now We are apt
to see scattered flock of long winged
grey birds coursing against the sky with
hawk-like flight, sometimes making sud-
den turns and downward swoops, some
times sailing for several seconds togeth-
er, and occasionally, for no apparent reas-
on, turning somersaults in mid-air These
are night hawks nocturnal birds which
are not hawks at all. by the way) prepar-
ing for a long journey to their winter
home in South America.
In a few days they will have departed.
and we shall not see them again until
next spring. Then. some evening in May.
as we are going homeward through the
fields at dusk, We shall hear above us an
oft-repeated call of "peent peent. and
looking up, we shall recognize by the Pc
culiar flight and by two white patches.
one on either wing, our old friend, the
night hawk.
And IL we are interested in bird life.
we should not fail to study him. for no
more curious or interesting bird is to be
found in New England. In the first place.
he is original in his views; he does not
seem bound by any laws of bird conven-
tionality. He interferes with no one,
goes about his own business, in his own
way. and is a law unto himself. Most
birds go out in the daytime only, except
when migrating: he goes out chiefly at
night But he is not tied down to night
work, and II he has any reason for doing
business in the daytime he does it. Most
birds built a nest to protect their fedg-
lings; but he has ideas of his own about
bringing up children. and being something
of Spartan, encourages them In moth
ing more luxurious than bed OF hard
al ub tenreSStOu
ground.
Early in May the courtship begins. and
at that time the bird Is particularly ac
tive on the wing About shutdown usually.
he leaves his roosting place. the Top OF
a rock. or the lichen- covered horizontal
branch of some tree. and begins to fit
about in pursuit of insects. which form
the principal part of his food. Presently
he scars. height upon height, occasionally
changing his direction to zig-zag this way
or that as some active insect tries to
escape him. or to pitch downward a few
feet for prey which suddenly appears be-
meath him. Gradually he reaches great
height, then calls 'peent-peent- peent"
several times in rapid succession. half
closes his wings. and shoots earthward
with great velocity. Down he comes until
you expect to see him dashed to pieces
against the ground. 1t seems impossible
that there Is SIlll time TO CHECK that
fearful speed, but while yet few feet
from the cath, the bird suddenly changes
its course, and proceeds skyward again
to repeat the exciting performance.
But at the instant. when the turn Is
made, the wind, rushing through the outer
wing feathers. makes curious sound.
which almost every observer describes in
a different manner.
And II is only natural that they should.
as the sound itself varies in tone and VOL
ume with the force and direction of the
wind, the angle and speed Of the descent.
and the abruptness of the turn. Some
times it is described as being like the
soughing of wind in the pine trees; at
others. like the sound produced by blow
ing across the bunghole of an empty bar
rel Often 1t is loud and deep. and not
unlike the believing OF bull and doubt
less from this fact the bird gets its other
common name of bullbat Its object in
thus making an aerial toboggan of itself
is as yet unknown. but as the performance
is one which seems to be confined chiefly
to the breeding season. 1t is quite possible
that the sound Is produced for reasons
similar to those which prompt the drum
ming of the grouse.
About the latter part Of May or the be-
ginning Of June. the female lays her two
grey eggs. which are as inconspicuous az