C. Nighthawk Anomalies? (Arapahoe)

[jared.d...@gmail.com]

I've had almost nightly sightings of nighthawks, including of flocks between 25-40 birds in the Centennial / Greenwood Village area since August 2. Last night, I had two birds fly north over my yard around 6:50 PM, a flock of 29 come back south over the yard about 10 minutes later, 22 return north (probably the same flock) after that, then 8, then 1. I've never had this sort of string of nighthawk activity over my yard. I suspect these birds were all flying together originally, then moving around in smaller groups but who knows.

I've not experienced anything like this in the four Augusts I've been in Centennial. But I often leave the area in August, so perhaps I've just missed this phenomena in the past. I'm wondering if anyone else in the metro area is seeing higher than normal nighthawk activity? Or if anyone outside the metro area is seeing anything anomalous? 

I'm also wondering if perhaps the widespread drought is pushing the birds to places where humans spray water around, with little thought to the actual availability of water, such as urban / suburban areas? 

I recognize, too, that two weeks of informal observations don't make an actual trend. So perhaps these birds signify nothing...

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO