Common Nighthawks are quite common throughout the United States and Canada during the spring and summer months. I first became familiar with them when I noticed them flying circles around stadium lights during evening sporting events. I learned that they were chasing and feeding on the flying insects that were drawn to the lights. They have very tiny bills as you'll see in some of the images below, but their mouths extend back to beneath the eyes. Their "gaping" mouths are great for snatching flying prey. Nighthawks are mostly active at night, but they are sometimes seen flying in daylight, especially during twilight hours. The distinct wing and throat markings of nighthawks are shown in the image below.
Common Nighthawk in Utah County, UT USA
Common Nighthawks have a rather long migration from South America so they tend to arrive here in Utah a little later than other migrant birds. Once they arrive they seem to get right down to the business of breeding. I'm glad that we consistently have breeding populations along some of our local rivers and in pockets of our local deserts. Males and females can often be seen flying together during the breeding season. During courtship the males will make a steep dive and then curve their wings near the bottom of the dive to create a "whoosh" sound as the air rushes through their flight feathers.
Common Nighthawks in Utah County, UT USA
I was showing an out-of-state visitor to some of Utah County's diverse birding habitats several weeks ago when I happened upon a Common Nighthawk nesting site beneath a Juniper tree. We were walking through a desert area that had a mix of sagebrush and junipers. As I walked toward a particular juniper a female nighthawk flushed from beneath the tree and landed about 15 yards away.
Female Common Nighthawk Distraction Display Near Nest Site in Utah County, UT USA
She began a distraction display which made me realize we were near a nest site. I captured a short video of this particular female to show her protective display. This clip shows the initial display and then ends when she feels she has successfully deterred us from the nest site.
Nighthawks don't actually build nests. They simply lay their eggs on bare ground or gravel rooftops. Consequently, we walked carefully with our eyes to the ground to avoid stepping onto eggs or chicks that might have been blending in with the ground below us. We actually discovered two eggs and then allowed mom to lure us away with her short flights and distraction displays. She was a good mama bird.
Common Nighthawk Eggs in Utah County, UT USA
Common Nighthawk Eggs in Utah County, UT
I am fascinated by the cycle of life so I returned to the nest site a week or so later and concealed my presence with a portable blind. I had hopes of watching the new generation of nighthawks develop from one stage to the next by making periodic visits. Mama nighthawk was still incubating eggs and did not flush since I remained in my blind.
Female Common Nighthawk Incubating Eggs in Utah County, UT USA
I let another week pass and returned to the site again in the blind. I noticed empty egg shells where mom had been incubating them during my previous visit.
It didn't take more than a few minutes to realize that mom and two chicks were just a few feet away from where the chicks had hatched. Mom moved toward the chicks as I started to back away from the site within my blind.
Female Common Nighthawk in Utah County, UT USA
Common Nighthawk Chicks in Utah County, UT USA
Female Common Nighthawk and Two Chicks in Utah County, UT USA
One chick moved under mom's chest while the other remained visible in the image below.
Female Common Nighthawk With One Chick Beneath and One Chick at Chest in Utah County, UT USA
I couldn't help but wonder how these birds raise their young on bare ground. They blend in rather effectively with their surroundings and mom is adept at distracting possible threats from the young ones, but they are still extremely vulnerable to the coyotes, badgers, rattlesnakes, and other predators that roam the desert floors. I hope these two young chicks progress to the point of making their first round trip flights to South America and back so they can continue the cycle of life by creating their next generation. I wonder if they'll return to the same desert for their own breeding seasons.
My most recent trip to the same general habitat resulted in a close encounter with what appears to be a male with all those bright white throat feathers. The female nighthawk did not show nearly as many white throat feathers.
I'm posting today as a follow-up to a post I shared three months ago (May) when I discovered an active Common Black-Hawk nest in southwestern Utah. You can view that original post by clicking here.
My wife and I were at the tail end of a road trip to three national parks this past weekend and stayed in a hotel in St George, Utah. I decided to get up early Saturday morning to drive out and check on the nest site. It was my first time back to the area since discovering the nest and I had to make at least one attempt to satisfy my curiosity about whether or not the hawks were successful in breeding. I had shared the location with wildlife officials so they could monitor the nest site. I sent emails on occasion to get updates, but I never got a confirmation that the hawks were successful breeders.
I had often thought about the pair of hawks over the past few months and Saturday presented a short window of opportunity for me. I knew their habits for feeding from my previous observations so I checked those locations at a specific time of day. It took less than 20 minutes to get my first look at an adult bird. I heard what I thought was a Spotted Sandpiper calling from a secluded location north of the adult hawk and ignored it. However, two minutes after walking away from the scene I slowly recalled the sound to my mind and it dawned on me that I was hearing a second Black-Hawk, not a Spotted Sandpiper. I backtracked to the location and kept my cover while creeping through young aspen and willow trees toward the calling bird.
Moments later I was enjoying my first observation of a juvenile Common Black-Hawk. It was proof of successful Black-Hawk breeding in Washington County, Utah. I can't express how delighted I was to see that bird. It looked just like I expected, just like the images I had studied and dreamed of seeing someday. The location of the bird's perch was fully shaded since the early morning sun was still behind a large hill when I captured the image below. Lighting wasn't ideal for capturing details, but I'm pleased to have this image to remember that unique experience and moment in time.
Juvenile Common Black-Hawk #1 in Washington County, UT
Before I knew it I heard and then saw two juveniles at the same time. I'm fairly certain I heard a third one calling farther north of the two, but I can't rule out that it might have been an adult. The second bird was farther from me, but I did get a super-cropped image for documentation purposes.
Juvenile Common Black-Hawk #2 in Washington County, UT
I hope these young birds continue to thrive and return as adults to increase the population of nesting Common Black-Hawks in southwestern Utah. They may become and produce beautiful hawks like their parent below. That would be awesome to witness.
Adult Common Black-Hawk in Washington County, UT
Raised at Least Two Juveniles the Summer of 2014
A birding trip to the West Desert of Utah County this past Saturday was already a success before we found the bird we were seeking. My friend Eric P and I were attempting to locate some Short-eared Owls when we came upon an American Badger that was returning to its den after a night of wandering the desert. Birds and photography prompt our adventures, but we always have our eyes and ears alert for the discovery of the secretive and fascinating mammals and reptiles that also live in the habitats we explore. Saturday's adventure included the badger, a Great Basin Rattlesnake, a beautiful Blazing Star flower, some owls, and a variety of hawks that were learning to fly, hunting, and launching from the tops of power poles.
The sun was still below the horizon when we caught our first glimpse of the badger. It stopped in its path momentarily and stared at us before continuing its stroll toward one of the entrances to a den. We started our observation from within my Tacoma, but we eventually ended up sitting on the high ground above and across from the badger. We watched as it went in and out of the den several times. It went in with a clean muzzle and came out with a dirty one.
American Badger in the West Desert of Utah County, UT
American Badger in the West Desert of Utah County, UT
American Badger in the West Desert of Utah County, UT
American Badger in the West Desert of Utah County, UT
The Short-eared Owls eluded us for quite some time during the early morning hours, but we persisted in our efforts to locate them. Eric and I decided to spend some time on foot so we could venture from the dirt road and course the desert grass which was dotted with sagebrush and other low-profile vegetation. I mentioned to Eric that it was a bit surprising that we'd never accidentally stepped on a rattlesnake during the many forays we'd made into perfect rattlesnake territory . Eric agreed and we continued our search for the owls. I noticed and became briefly distracted from the owl hunt by the beautiful yellow blossoms of Smoothstem Blazing Stars. The yellow blossoms were a bright touch of color to the otherwise dull landscape. The Blazing Star is appropriately named with its five yellow petals and burst of numerous stamens. These blossoms open at dusk and remain open until the morning hours when they close for the day. They are capable of self pollinating when pollinators are unavailable, but the plant I observed was being pollinated by a honey bee.
Smoothstem Blazing Star in the West Desert of Utah County, UT
The bee landed on and clung to several of the stamens as they slowly gave in to the weight of its body. The pollen grains building up on the sides of the bee's hind legs are visible in the image below. These clumps of pollen are sometimes referred to as pollen baskets. Some of the pollen grains will fall from the basket and be transferred to the stigma of flowers to enable the pollination process. I rejoined Eric in the owl search after wrapping up my brief fascination with the Blazing Star and the Honey Bee.
Honey Bee on Smoothstem Blazing Star in the West Desert of Utah County, UT
A decision to check one unlikely location ended up flushing our first Short-eared Owl. Soon we discovered a second owl. We knew that approaching them in the truck (essentially a mobile blind) was better than on foot, but the owls ended up moving farther from the road. We began another search on foot and put some space between us to better cover the ground. We hadn't gone far when Eric happened upon a Great Basin Rattlesnake that was sunning itself. The snake began to take cover in a sagebrush as I made my way toward Eric's location, but I was able to see the tail end of the snake as it slithered beneath a sagebrush. We didn't have a snake hook with us so we improvised by extending one leg of a tripod I retrieved from the truck. We pulled the snake from beneath the sagebrush to allow brief (and safe) examination and photography. The snake turned out to be about three feet long with a diameter of about two inches.
Great Basin Rattlesnake in the West Desert of Utah County, UT
Great Basin Rattlesnake in the West Desert of Utah County, UT
Great Basin Rattlesnake in the West Desert of Utah County, UT
We made another brief effort to track down some Short-eared Owls after spending time with the rattlesnake before deciding to turn our focus toward the hawks in the desert. We had seen a family of Swainson's Hawks where the dirt road connected to the highway so we made our way in that direction. The family of hawks was still there when we arrived at the location so we captured a few images of the parents and juveniles. One of the parents was a light-morph showing the typical dark bib on the chest and the white under wing coverts contrasting with darker flight feathers.
Adult Light-morph Swainson's Hawk Above the West Desert of Utah County, UT
The juvenile captured in flight below appears to be an intermediate or dark-morph. The markings on the chest would be fewer for a light morph and possibly heavier for a dark morph.
Juvenile Intermediate-morph Swainson's Hawk Above the West Desert of Utah County, UT
After getting back on the highway and beginning our ride home we came across a Red-tailed Hawk perched on a power line. It reminded me of finding a Swainson's Hawk perched on a wire several months earlier. I'm not sure why, but I had never really noticed large hawks perching on wires before. Saturday we saw both a Red-tailed and a Swainson's Hawk perched on wires before getting home Saturday. The Red-tailed Hawk below chose the wire over the top of the pole.
Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT
A second Red-tailed Hawk was perched in a more common position on the top of a pole. We pulled over to photograph the hawk and captured several images just as it launched from its perch.
Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT
Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT
Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT
Yet another Red-tailed Hawk launched from it's perch as we pulled over to observe it momentarily.
Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT
Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT
Just as we arrived at the edge of town we discovered yet another family of Swainson's Hawks. Both parents and at least two juveniles were present. One of the juveniles flew from and returned to a perch on a power line.
Juvenile Intermediate-morph Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT
We had just one more stop to make on our way home. I had tentatively planned to drop by and check on a Swainson's Hawk nest site I had been watching for the past couple of months. I knew that the single chick from the nest had recently fledged so I was curious to see how it was doing. The image below is from a previous visit to the nest site. It was windy that day so mom and dad were leaning into the wind to maintain their perches. Dad is an intermediate morph (on the left) and mom is a less common dark morph. Dad is showing the gray cheeks often displayed by adult males.
Adult Intermediate-morph Male (left) and Dark-morph Female Swainson's Hawks in Lehi, UT
The image below was captured when the single chick was covered primarily in white downy feathers. It was a very curious bird when I observed it for the first time.
Swainson's Hawk Chick in Nest in Lehi, UT
The nest appeared to have been used beyond its capacity when we arrived Saturday. I think the chick had tromped around it so much that it had no choice but to branch out and then fledge.
Remains of a Swainson's Hawk Nest in Lehi, UT
The young bird was perched on a power line about thirty feet from the vacated nest. Mom was still present, but dad was absent during our brief visit. I was impressed by the transition that had taken place between the time I saw the fluffy white chick and the juvenile hawk we observed Saturday morning.
Recently Fledged Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT
Mom did a few flyovers and gave some calls to alert her youngster to our presence. She was such a beautiful dark-morph. Very few that I've seen are as dark, nearly black, as this mother hawk.
Dark-morph Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT
Dark-morph Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT
It was approaching 11 AM and Eric and I both had other commitments to keep. We acknowledged we'd had a great morning and made our way home. I can't wait to see what we discover during our next tag team adventure in Utah's amazing outdoors.
A beautiful day was just beginning when Eric Peterson and I set out for a two-hour drive from Pleasant Grove to Tabiona, Utah yesterday. Our original plans were to observe and photograph a variety of hummingbirds visiting feeders at the cabins of people we know on Tabby Mountain. But as Eric shared in a Facebook post last night, we started with hummers and finished with a chase of Gray Jays and Nutcrackers. We returned home nearly 12 hours and 247 miles later having shared some unique birding experiences.
We arrived at the turn off to the gravel road leading up Tabby Mountain around 7:30. I stopped the truck once as we were making our way up the mountain to the cabins so we could watch some Least Chipmunks and a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel that were scurrying across and foraging on the road. My interest in finding and photographing mammals has increased recently so I wanted to capture a few images to study and share with others. Yesterday's Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel was the first one I'd ever photographed. One easy way to distinguish generally between ground squirrels and chipmunks is to note whether or not stripes are on the head and face. Ground Squirrels do not have stripes on their heads, but chipmunks do.
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel on Tabby Mountain in Tabiona, UT
The first cabin we visited had three feeders that were being visited primarily by Black-chinned and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. The owners let us know about a hummingbird nest above their front porch. They said two babies were in the nest the day before, but one must have flown away. The owners were on their way out to do some fishing so we made sure to give them five pounds of sugar before they left. It was our thank-you for the pleasure of visiting their feeders. We still had three more five-pound bags to share with the other cabins we'd visit during the day.
Baby Black-chinned Hummingbird in Nest
Tabiona, UT
We weren't sure of the species at first, but we soon noticed a female Black-chinned Hummingbird that was protecting the area when other hummingbirds flew too close. The female would occasionally hover around and fly into an Aspen sapling just a few yards away from the nest. Eric investigated the sapling and found the second baby. It had just fledged. We watched as it made very short flights from the tree to a blade of grass, to the porch, and onto the tire of a truck parked in the yard just yards from the nest in which its life was given. What a contrast to see these short, stumbling, and awkward flights and then realize that within a matter of weeks this tiny bird will be buzzing swiftly and accurately from Utah to Mexico. That journey will take several weeks to complete. The image below shows it struggling to secure a perch on the stem of an Aspen leaf--seemingly hanging on for dear life. That act will be second nature in no time.
This Black-chinned Hummingbird just left its nest and is doing all it can to hold onto this Aspen leaf without falling
Tabiona, UT
I don't know if I'll ever see another hummingbird perch on a blade of grass so yesterday was a memorable experience with a hummingbird. It just goes to show how light these tiny birds really are. It's not a natural perch for a hummingbird, but when you are learning to fly you land as safely as possible where ever you can?
Recently Fledged Black-chinned Hummingbird Perched on a Blade of Grass
(Resting on the only place it could find while learning to fly)
Tabiona, UT
Recently Fledged Black-chinned Hummingbird with Eyelid Closed
(Perched on a blade of grass as it rests between very short flights)
Tabiona, UT
Recently Fledged Black-chinned Hummingbird
Resting on the porch between very short flights as it learns to fly
Tabiona, UT
Recently Fledged Black-chinned Hummingbird
Resting on a truck tire between some very short flights as it learns to fly
Tabiona, UT
Eric and I made brief visits to two other cabins to assess the activity of the birds. One of the owners suggested we visit a home a few miles away in Hanna. We followed our friend to that home and did some exploring. There were definitely hummingbirds, but I enjoyed seeing a few more fledgling birds. This time of year is filled with new life for birds and the babies are fun to watch as they learn their way around the new world. I heard the calls of Spotted Sandpipers coming from the stream behind the home so Eric and I made our way to the stream to discover a family with a mom, dad, and at least three siblings. The fledgling below still has some fine, black downy feathers clinging to the tip of its new tail.
Recently-fledged Spotted Sandpiper in Hannah, UT
Eric spent some time photographing hummingbirds while I explored the yard and observed recently fledged Green-tailed Towhees and Black-headed Grosbeaks. We eventually headed back up to Tabby Mountain to focus on some hummingbird photography. I spent a little time trying to capture Rufous Hummingbirds in flight, but I took advantage of one male that posed at the feeder.
Male Rufous Hummingbird Tabiona, UT
Male Rufous Hummingbird Tabiona, UT
Female Rufous Hummingbird Tabiona, UT
Female Rufous Hummingbird Tabiona, UT
My assortment of hummingbird images from our visit two years ago was much more extensive. This year my attention was diverted to some of the other birds visiting feeders around the cabins. Cassin's Finches and White-breasted Nuthatches became the target for some of my attention.
Male Cassin's Finch in Tabiona, UT
Female Cassin's Finch in Tabiona, UT
Nuthatches are known for moving from top to bottom along the trunks and major branches of trees. This is a typical pose for these birds as they forage for bugs hiding beneath bark. They will also eat seeds as they find them.
White-breasted Nuthatch in Tabiona, UT
White-breasted Nuthatch in Tabiona, UT
It's a short clip, but I did capture some video of one Nuthatch. It shows a bit of the characteristic movement of these busy foragers.
Eric and I eventually decided to leave Tabiona and drive up to Mirror Lake Campground because Eric had seen a Gray Jay there during a recent visit. I had never seen one before so it became a quest to help me locate a life bird. We made a brief stop at the convenience store in Hanna to attempt to satisfy some hunger pangs that were beginning to manifest themselves. On the way out of the store I heard the call of a Mountain Bluebird. I looked up and found a female bluebird holding a grasshopper in its beak. That was a sign that a nest with young was nearby. Otherwise the bird would have promptly swallowed the grasshopper to satisfy its own hunger. I didn't see the nest before we left to continue our drive, but I did grab the camera from the truck to capture images to add to the "birds with food in their beaks" collection. People at that store must have thought I was a nut pointing a big lens at a dull looking bird above the entrance to the store.
Female Mountain Bluebird Preparing to Take Food to Nest in Hanna, UT
Female Mountain Bluebird Preparing to Take Food to Nest in Hanna, UT
One of the cabin owners was telling us before we left Tabby Mountain that he had just recently seen and photographed California Quail for the first time in the seventeen years he had lived in that county. Eric and I spotted a male and a female Quail right as we pulled away from the convenience store. We weren't sure if we were lucky or our friend had been really unlucky for the past seventeen years.
The drive was pleasant as we made our way higher into the Uinta Mountains. We took Highway 35 out of Hanna and then onto a dusty gravel road called Soapstone Pass to make our way over Soapstone Mountain and onto Highway 150, which would take us to the campground. We arrived at the campground around 1 PM. Afternoons can be a slow time of day for birding since many birds take cover and rest during the middle of the day. We had hopes that cooler mountain temperatures would encourage some birds to remain active so we could more easily locate them amid the thick conifers and aspens.
Most camp sites in the campground areas were occupied due to Thursday being a state holiday (Pioneer Day) and many people taking advantage of a long weekend. People with food may have actually helped shorten the time it took for us to see not only a Gray Jay but some Clark's Nutcrackers as well. I've heard people who camp high in our mountains refer to these birds as camp robbers since they like to show up and take food and scraps from campsite and picnic areas.
Gray Jay at Mirror Lake Campground in Duchesne County, UT
Gray Jay at Mirror Lake Campground in Duchesne County, UT
Gray Jay at Mirror Lake Campground in Duchesne County, UT
Gray Jay at Mirror Lake Campground in Duchesne County, UT
Gray Jay Picking up Sandwich Scraps at Mirror Lake Campground in Duchesne County, UT
Clark's Nutcracker at Mirror Lake Campground in Duchesne County, UT
Clark's Nutcracker at Mirror Lake Campground in Duchesne County, UT
Clark's Nutcracker at Mirror Lake Campground in Duchesne County, UT
The bird above allowed close approach as it called so I decided to try some video. I had the lens zoomed in on the bird while hand-holding the camera so it is a little shaky. It's definitely better to use a tripod when capturing video through a telephoto lens. The wind kicked up right as I started recording so there is also a bit of noise from the wind blowing into the microphone. A second nutcracker can be heard calling in the background.
We could have stayed longer in the mountains yesterday, but 3 PM rolled around and Eric and I both had plans and commitments for the rest of the day. The mountains were a great escape from the valley heat and provided some memorable experiences for us. It was another great adventure with Eric that helped me appreciate life and the world in which we live.
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