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You Can't See Me


You Can't See Me
Photo Information
Copyright: Rick Price (Adanac) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1043 W: 1 N: 4096] (13768)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-07-02
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 300D DIGITAL, Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS
Exposure: f/8, 1/640 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-01-08 7:51
Viewed: 615
Points: 22
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I found this Common Nighthawk sleeping in a small tree, he allowed me to walk right up without moving. He sure blends in with the branch he choose to rest on.

Common Nighthawk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Caprimulgiformes

Family: Caprimulgidae

Genus: Chordeiles

Species: C. minor


Binomial name
Chordeiles minor
(Forster,JR, 1771)
The Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor, is a nightjar.

The adults are dark with brown, grey and white patterning on the upperparts and breast; the long wings are black and show a white bar in flight. The tail is dark with white barring; the underparts are white with black bars. The adult male has a white throat; the female has a light brown throat.

Their breeding habitat is open country across North America. They usually nest on bare ground, sometimes in raised locations including stumps or gravel roofs. They especially favor burned areas in forests. The two eggs are laid directly on bare ground--there is no nest. Incubation is performed largely by the female and lasts for about 20 days. Young fledge at about 20 days of age. There may be a second brood in the southern part of the United States.

These birds winter in South America. They migrate in flocks. The Common Nighthawk is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.

They catch flying insects on the wing, mainly foraging near dawn and dusk (crepuscular), sometimes at night with a full moon or near street lighting.

The call is a short peet usually heard overhead. The male performs an aerial display during courtship, creating a booming sound near the end of a steep dive. The sound is produced by air rushing through the wingtips.

Common Nighthawks are called bullbats in many parts of the United States. The origin of this name is not clear. The erratic flight and crepuscular habits of the nighthawk resemble those of bats. In addition, the name (perhaps bull) may refer to the loud booming sound of the male's display.

The scientific name for this species, minor, leads to some confusion. Originally this species was placed in genus Caprimulgus, and it is indeed smaller than some other members of that genus, such as the Whip-poor-will, Caprimulgus vociferus. However, with the Common Nighthawk moved to the genus Chordeiles, it is in the odd position of being named minor, even though it is larger than the Lesser Nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis
claudine, lovenature, Argus, jeanpaul, Shoot_Score, pvb, uduputuk, daveman has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To uduputuk: ThanksAdanac 1 01-31 17:46
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Rick,
You were lucky to see him, which is not evident. I like this close POV and great details you caught. I'm amazed about the size of its eye. Well seen and realized. Thanks,
Claudine

Hi Rick
I find Night Hawks so interesting too and especially when they do their dive for bugs. I'm amazed on how close you could get to capture this photo, they sure blend in nicely to their surroundings.
TFS Janice

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2596 W: 133 N: 7433] (23169)
  • [2007-01-08 13:11]

Wow! What a capture, Rick!
You don't often get the chance to take ahot of a Nighthawk. This is pretty sharp and well presented. Nice that he relied on his camouflage for you to get close.
TFS and best wishes, Ivan

  • Great 
  • marcin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 126 W: 0 N: 155] (1371)
  • [2007-01-08 15:55]

witam
faktycznie bardzo trudno wypatrzyc takiego ptaszka w swoim naturalnym srodowisku, udalo sie gratuluje i pozdrawiam

Bonjour Rick
Une excellente photo avec cette belle présentation avec ce faucon au repos et rt il fallait un oeil exercé pour lLappercevoir.,les couleurs sont justes et parfaitements exposées, félicitations.
Merci et bravo...JP

Hi Rick! So glad you posted this nighthawk photo. We have whip-poor-wills in the Wainfleet Ontario marsh (near Niagara Falls) and now with your mention of the "peet" noise, I'm wondering if we have these also. Very good shot of this shy bird, great POV to show off the camouflage. Good note. Well done! Linda

What camouflage! Had it perched the other way around, rather than against the grain, it would look like a branch!

Excellent shot!~

hi rick,
lovely capture,
well composed,
nice pov,
well saturated colours,
tfs & regards
pankaj

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2458 W: 168 N: 7420] (23432)
  • [2007-01-09 4:48]

Hello Rick,
Very clever to capture this bird as he is so well camouflaged and not often seen. He really looks like part of the trunk. Pretty sharp and I like the low light. Nice composition too.
TFS and regards, Ulla

  • Great 
  • pvb Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 381 W: 20 N: 521] (1813)
  • [2007-01-14 7:15]

Hi Rick,
You have been very very lucky to see him. Nice composition and low pov. Good sharpness and good details.
Thanks paula

Hi Rick,
Belive me, I can see (.. thanks to Rick of course :d)! Very good behavior picture, clear and detailed.

Tfs, take care,
Tairi

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