Last evening, just after 7PM, I went out to retrieve items from the deck. Checking the clear sky, I caught sight of four common nighthawks and squadrons of chimney swifts.
Feeding on swarms of flying insects, these aerial hunters were soon joined by a pair of Mississippi kites. I settled in one of the deck chairs and watched the air show for the next half hour. Turkey vultures also cruised across the scene, heading for their nearby roost.
This evening spectacle will likely unfold on a regular basis through September but will not be noticed by most humans, focused as we are on our terrestrial life zone. Now and then, it is worth scanning the dome above us, where speed and agility are on display.
