Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-08-31
WAYS OF THE NIGHTHAWK.
The Habits of This Bird Ar
Strangely Belfed by It's Name.


The nighthawk is bird often seen
and yet a bird of which little Is COM
monty known. It's name would lead
one to think that 1t is night bird, but
this is wrong, as 1t does not roam
about during the night at all. Like
the familiar song birds Of the woods
it rests at night. 1t received its name
on account Of it's habit Of appearing
only during the later afternoon or on
cloudy days. A proper name for this
bird would be " twilight bird" as
it cannot be said to belong to either
night or day.
If you have ever lived on farm you
will recall hearing on some still, hot
evening, a whirring. long-drawn out
note, high above your head, and on
looking up you will remember how sur
prised you were to behold small bird
with big wings falling straight toward
the earth, and then how much more
surprised you were when the bird sud-
denly turned in a graceful upward
curve and went straight back again
into the darkness above. That was
the nighthawk on a hunt for it's sup
per. After the first meeting you Will
remember how familiar it grew to you
and yet how little you ever learned Of
it's habits Of living.
These birds winter just south OF the
United States. They arrive in Indi-
ana with the heading Of the oat anu
wheat fields and stay until September.
Sometimes they summer as far nortn
as the Hudson Bay and winter as far
south as Brazil. They travel from orc
place to another, as a rule, in seattle
ing flocks. To see these birds travel
ing is a sight not soon forgotten. They
will follow q river or stream for miles
and seem to use these natural high
ways as their guide from one home
to another.
A hunt for the nest of this bird Is
hopeless task in some localities of our
state, as they do not always breed.
They live in the field and it Is there
you may expect to find the nest If one
is to be found. 1t will be built on the
ground, and there will not be straw
or stick or cord in the home. 1t will
be just a hole in the ground, for this
bird is, above all things, lazy, and II
there is any material, other than the
bare earth near the nest, it will be be-
cause the wind blew it there or be-
cause it blew there. You will find two
eggs of a dirty color in the nest, pro-
vided some snake or gopher has not
made way with them. Exposed as
these eggs are, it is a wonder the bird
does not disappear from the face of the
earth. Nearly every animal that lives
eats eggs.
The nighthawk lives almost entirely
on bugs, bees and insects. They are so
swift in their action that they have
little difficulty in securing a square
meal every hour they hunt. They are
so marked that they can easily secure
their prey. They are dark-just a tWi-
light color-underneath, and the real
distance they are from you is matter
Of doubt. They have a wishbone shap-
ed white mark on the throat by which
they can always be known.
The noise made by this bird when
descending Is caused by its wings In
contact with the air. It's throat cry Is
a squeak and unpleasant to the ear.
The bird is very attractive when 1t
flies about in the air, as its curvings
are as smooth and graceful as II they
had been planned and rehearsed for
weeks. Such perfect control does 1t
have over its power Of flight that 1t
can drop towards the ground with
lightning rapidity, and when scarcely
two feet above the surface, reverse
it's action and sail again in graceful
circles toward the sky-Indianapolis
News.