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.
