Copyright © 1995, Don Baccus
All images copyright © 1995, Don Baccus
Common nighthawks return to southeast Oregon towards the end of May, normally close to Memorial Day. They are common and easy to find. During the day, you'll often find them perched on wooden fences, tree branches, and even clotheslines. They're heavily camoflauged, looking a bit like cottonwood bark. As they sit in the direction of, rather than perpendicular to, their perch, they become quite invisible, often startling unsuspecting visitors when they flush.
The patient photographer can closely approach roosting nighthawks. Move slowly and patiently. Typically, the bird will get fidgety as you approach, but will settle down when you sit still. Frequent stops, and slow movements, are the trick.
The Malheur Field Station often has a dozen or more nighthawks roosting on the wooden fences which surround some of the grassy areas. The area north of Benson Pond and the oasis at Fields offer the opportunity to photograph and view them roosting in willows and cottonwoods, and they often roost in the junipers in Page Springs Campground.
