On our camping trip on Colorado’s northeast plains a few weeks ago I spotted lots of these birds early in the morning. As you can tell, they were not exactly bundles of energy.
They loved soaking in the early morning sun while perched on fence posts and barely cracked their eyes open for me. Not quite the action shots I normally hope for but a fun bird to see.
Their name, “nighthawks”, is actually a bit of a misnomer. They are not nocturnal nor, as you can tell, are they a hawk. During summer they are found across much of the United States and Canada. Winters are spent in Mexico and warmer climates.
