Twelve folks scanned the skies and found 221 nighthawks. It was a challenging effort as the birds appeared from every direction and in small groups; I think about twenty was the largest group.
There continues to be good Chimney Swift numbers and blackbird groups flying to roost each evening. The Double-crested Cormorants fly down the Merrimack most every night. Only the second Osprey was spotted for this season and a Cooper's Hawk landed on a nearby building offering great views in the scopes.
However, a new challenge has been introduced to monitoring for nighthawks: bribery! Who knew that inducements such as candy bars would be necessary to get folks to watch for the spectacle of nighthawk migration. (Although during the slow patches I thought I overheard some mutterings from the chocoholics about taste treats at other monitoring sites...)
