Early-nesting nighthawk, southern Polk County
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Joel Geier
Jul 2, 2026, 8:39:02 PM (6 days ago) Jul 2
to Oregon Birders OnLine, Mid-Valley Nature
Last week (June 27th) while out monitoring Vesper Sparrows on a Christmas tree farm in southern Polk County, I flushed a Common Nighthawk that flew just a short distance, then did a distraction display. I didn't see a nest so I left the area quickly, but made a note of the location.
On June 29th I was back in the same area (following a Vesper dad who was being followed by two of his own fledglings plus another one from a different nest) and checked back on the nighthawk, from a discrete distance. This time I was able to spot her as she sat tight, presumably on eggs. She was on bare ground, but up against a small pile of tree trimmings (left by crews who trimmed these trees last month -- we sometimes find Vesper Sparrows nesting under the trimmings).
Today (July 2nd) I checked back, along with Bob Altman, but we couldn't see the nighthawk or any eggs, in what I was sure was the same location. Thinking that the nest must have been lost to predation, I took a few steps closer to look for evidence. The nighthawk flushed about 6 feet from where I'd seen her previously. There was a single, downy chick -- really just a ball of fluff -- where she flushed. When I took a step toward it for a better look, the mom came back to defend it, approaching within 10 feet of me (and just 1-2 ft from her chick).
I wondered how such a young chick -- apparently just a day or two old -- could move that far away from the nest. According to online references, by the age of 2 days, nighthawk hatchlings are able to propel themselves over the ground, in response to their mother's calls.
On June 29th I was back in the same area (following a Vesper dad who was being followed by two of his own fledglings plus another one from a different nest) and checked back on the nighthawk, from a discrete distance. This time I was able to spot her as she sat tight, presumably on eggs. She was on bare ground, but up against a small pile of tree trimmings (left by crews who trimmed these trees last month -- we sometimes find Vesper Sparrows nesting under the trimmings).
Today (July 2nd) I checked back, along with Bob Altman, but we couldn't see the nighthawk or any eggs, in what I was sure was the same location. Thinking that the nest must have been lost to predation, I took a few steps closer to look for evidence. The nighthawk flushed about 6 feet from where I'd seen her previously. There was a single, downy chick -- really just a ball of fluff -- where she flushed. When I took a step toward it for a better look, the mom came back to defend it, approaching within 10 feet of me (and just 1-2 ft from her chick).
I wondered how such a young chick -- apparently just a day or two old -- could move that far away from the nest. According to online references, by the age of 2 days, nighthawk hatchlings are able to propel themselves over the ground, in response to their mother's calls.
The incubation period for nighthawks is 18 days. If this one hatched two days ago, that would mean an egg date of June 12th, which I believe is 3 days earlier than any recorded date for nighthawks nesting in Oregon.
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Joel Geier
Tampico Ridge north of Corvallis
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