Saturday, May 1, 2010

Waiting on Nighhawks

Like the migration of snow geese in February and the bugling of elk in October, the arrival of common nighthawks, in early May, is another event by which I mark the natural year. Their arrival signals the onset of a sustained period of warm days and balmy nights and, though I am not a big fan of summer heat, these birds appear with those cherished, mild, fragrant evenings of late spring.

I had thought that the strong, southerly winds of the past two days might have swept a few into mid Missouri but these finicky travelers, unlike the swallows and swifts, will not risk the occasional cold spells of a Midwestern April. Rather, they bide their time, feasting on swarms of insects as they follow the changing arc of the sun.

Within a few days, they will arrive in the Heartland and their sharp peents will echo across the evening sky. Watching them tilt and flap overhead, I will realize, once again, why I am so fond of these common summer residents. It is not the warm weather that they bring; rather, it is their spirit of freedom that stirs my soul.