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PACIFIC NIGHTHAWK

Other common names: Bull-bat.

Museum Specimens - Nickel Creek Burn (3700).

Nighthawks are the last of the summer birds to arrive in the spring. Not until all the cold weather is over will they venture northward. They appear in this vicinity about June 1, the males proceeding the females. As soon as the "ladies" do arrive, the males commence their famous zooming diving exhibitions. Flying high above the females, they dive straight at them, catching and breaking their drop at their level. Perhaps two or more males may dive at the same female. Then begins a chase - one or more after a twisting, elusive bird - and that is the extent of our knowledge concerning their wooing activities. A dive end a chase, and finally a lady's acceptance!

Logged-off and burned areas of land are favorite nesting places - the larger the area the more birds present. Some have gone modern and use the gravel roofs of down-town buildings in cities. Typical nesting sites are on open ground with scattering alder bushes. They take advantage of the bush's protection by laying their two eggs in its afternoon shade.

Local ornithologists and bird-lovers should drive out and locate, if possible, these breeding areas, as an hour in the late evening spent in watching the actions of the birds is a show in itself for anybody. This area can be determined by the presence of feeding birds between the hours of seven and nine, from June 25 to July 5.

Such an area exists near the Narrows west of Tacoma, Washington, and I have spent many hours quietly watching during this active hour. In the early evening, while the sun is still bright and hot, not a bird is seen or heard. About 7 o'clock is heard the notes of the first male approaching in his jerky, uncertain flight. Other males soon join until the air contains many twisting birds. Then comes the "zooming" of a male nearby. Watch him! He dives near a clump of alder bushes. Now he springs upward in short, jerky circles. When he reaches his former height the circles become smaller until he almost stops in mid-air. Then he makes a dive at the same place, perhaps twice more. Let us walk over and flush the female; she will be covering her eggs or small young and the actions of the male have shown you the nest. The male will pursue its mate, driving her until she alights or goes back to her eggs or young. Later in the evening, before dusk, all birds seem to be a-wing, feeding, no more diving or chasing, each bird intent on securing its evening meal.

Nighthawks lay two eggs, sometimes only one, but never three or more. They are closely allied to the hummingbirds in this respect. In color the eggs resemble little round stones as nature intended they should, as they are laid on the bare ground. They are grayish in color on a light back-ground. The female does all the incubating, the male keeping away and appearing only in the evening.

It has been my good fortune, and can be yours if you care for it, to watch the growing development of the young birds when hatched on some gravel roof. In this bare locality all actions of both young and adults are easily followed. The two young, when hatched, resemble baby grouse in color of down, and possess two nimble legs with which to seek safety equally as fast as do the baby grouse. It is truly remarkable, because at the end of a short time the long wing feathers have grown sufficiently to enable the young birds to fly and they discontinue the use of their legs, which remain weak and of little use. This is why nighthawks have to roost lengthwise on a horizontal limb. It seems wonderful that nature should provide them with two active legs while in the downy state, and then deprive them of the use of those some legs when the wings develop. The young are fed by the parents through a process of regurgitation, this again allying them to the hummingbird.

Nighthawks are from nine to ten inches in length, but their long bent wings make them appear larger. They are blackish above, sprinkled with dull gold, the female showing more of the latter color but lighter. As we generally see this bird overhead, the under-markings are more often observed. The female is buff, striped crosswise with black bars, the male less so and showing more blackish. Both birds have pure white wing patches that show plainly in flight, the male having also a white bar across the tail and a pure white throat patch that is readily seen from below. The bill is very small and soft, and not strong enough to peck or secure food. We might say the largest thing about a nighthawk is its mouth, which really extends from ear to ear. This cavity, when open, enables the bird to secure its food in flight. Stomachs examined usually contain "grit" such as clam-shell, tiny pebbles, etc., to aid digestion.

We have but one breeding area in the park - in the Transition Zone of the Nickel Creek country. This section is sandy, free from dense underbrush, and ideal as a nesting land. A dozen or more males were seen in the air during June and July, and two females were flushed, one on eggs, the other with tiny young. We have records at Longmire of single birds just up from the south, but they do not breed in that vicinity.

When the nursery days are over, large numbers of these birds feed together in some swale or valley in the evening. Their departure dates are in September.

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BLACK SWIFT

Other common names: Cloud Swift.

Black swifts were first recorded in the park on August 28, 1934, above Stevens Canyon. At that time a flock was observed feeding high above a flock of Vaux's swifts. They are frequently seen in summer above Cowlitz Park where they undoubtedly breed. The Cowlitz Chimneys should attract them. On July 23, 1937, two males were in pursuit of one female, flying and darting over the Cowlitz Divide.

For many years the nesting of the black swift was unknown to science, although the nesting of other swifts was well known and described. When finally found and only one egg for a set reported, it was hard to believe. Later findings have proved this fact. The white egg is decidedly larger than that of the white-throated swift, although both birds are about the same size. The nesting site is a crack in some high cliff and no nesting material is used.

These swifts are wonderful fliers, few birds being able to exceed their pace and none to sustain it. They may have luncheon in the mountains and dinner over the ocean tide-flats. After a light rain they seem to feed nearer the ground, often in company with the Vaux's swift.

Before the fall migration, these birds collect in immense flocks, hence the name of "cloud" swift. On September 7 some years ago, a flock of black swifts, two city blocks long, and one wide and composed of several thousand birds, hung ever the streets of Tacoma. It was 8:00 A.M. and a light rain was falling. All birds hung stationary in the air, facing the wind. Without any perceptible sign or order, the flock suddenly swung into action and were gone instantly.

Black swifts measure about 7 inches in length, and appear sooty black in color.

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VAUX'S SWIFT

Other common names: Chimney Swift.

When one sees a small swallow-like bird, shaped like a cigar, flying with seemingly alternating wing beats and then a sail, he can put it down as Vaux's swift, the western representative of the old familiar chimney swift of the east.

Out here in the west, we have little chance to study them, only in flight. They have not as yet shown much attachment to our civilization, but we have one or two chimney-nesting records. Their natural nesting site is some hollow snag in the forest into which they drop from above.

The birds may be considered almost common in the park, and are recorded near the boundaries on all sides. The west-side highway and Longmire are feeding areas as is the Stevens Canyon. On June 21st, 1937, a pair were observed on the White River breaking tiny twigs from the cottonwoods for nesting material.

Their nest is a remarkable structure. The twigs are held or glued together by saliva from the bird's mouth, and are so shaped to form a kind of half basket. No other material is used, and the half basket is glued or fastened to the inside surface of the hollow snag or in the chimney. Several pairs may nest in the same snag. Usually four white eggs are laid.

Vaux's swifts are a dark, sooty brown in color, lighter below. They have long, strong bow-like wings, weak legs and bills. As they feed entirely in the air, their mouth is large and wide. The tail feathers and in a sort of spike on which they rest while clinging.

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RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD

Museum Specimens - Longmire (2700).

This tiny winged gem is very common in the park in summer. Why should it not be, with acres of the most gorgeous flowers to attract it? So numerous are they in mid-summer that many birds must come up from below when. Their breeding season is over. There is probably no place in the State of Washington where the birds are more numerous than Stevens Canyon and the southern slopes of the Tatoosh Range.

Rufous hummers arrive from the south late in March or early in April. The signal of their arrival is the red or pink blossoms of the flowering currant. If it is late in blossoming, the birds are late; if early we may see our first hummer by March 15. In this high country they come later, but not a great deal.

Then comes the mating season when the male shows his adoration by zooming up and down in his show-off, vertical demonstrations. But what a deceiver he is, for no sooner has housekeeping commenced than he has vanished, leaving the industrious little wife to build the nest and incubate the two white eggs. At first the nest is a bright moss green, later, as incubation continues, to be camouflaged with lichens - a perfect protection. When the two tiny young are hatched it is the mother bird that feeds and raises them to two healthy, strong children, and the babies never see their father! If all this is not enough, about June 1, back comes the male; all seems forgiven and another family is started; away he goes again, leaving the patient little mother to care for the second family.

In some sections of our country, especially along the Washington coast, the rufous hummer very often builds a new nest on last year's old one, and it is not uncommon to find even a three-decker. I once found and collected a nest with four eggs, the product, probably, of two females. The eggs were deserted and cold. After preparing, I never could place the tiny eggs back in the nest as I found them - there just did not seem to be room enough to rearrange them.

Hummingbirds are considered by many naturalists the most wonderful of birds. Their great speed a-wing, their dauntless courage among other birds (considering their tiny size) places them in a class by themselves. It is the only bird that can fly backwards as can by noted when they approach a flower and then draw away from it. Last of all is the marvelous rapidity of its wing beats - so fast as rarely to be seen by the naked eye.

The rufous hummingbird is the western cousin of the ruby-throated hummingbird, and the only common hummingbird found west of the Cascade mountains. The male has the gorgeous ruby throat, green upper back changing to rufous on the lower back, whitish underparts; the female lacks the ruby throat, it being replaced with soft grayish stripes.

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CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD

Nature intended that the mother hummingbird should take care of its posterity, so her size and strength were developed to this end. She is larger than the male, who still keeps the high coloration and leads the life of the "dandy" that he is. With his greenish back markings, whitish underparts and gorgeous purplish-red cravat, he is a gem that cannot be matched. The female is more difficult to distinguish from the female rufous, but lacks the rufous back-markings of the latter. The gorget is replaced by soft grayish stripes.

Calliope hummers prefer the eastern slopes of the Cascades where it is dryer and warmer. With us, they are distinctly a mountain bird. They inhabit the northern sections of the park, especially about Mystic Lake, the land of flowers, but they also summer on the hot slopes of Stevens Canyon. It is difficult to identify any hummingbird as it whizzes by, but this little beauty has a habit of perching on the very tip of our short mountain conifers where its brilliant flashings mean positive identification. It is tiny - the smallest bird in the United States.

As can be imagined, the female builds the tiniest of nests and lays two white eggs. Owing to their preference for high mountainous areas, they probably have only one brood a year. When hatched the young resemble two tiny black beetles, and (perhaps to economize on space) often sit in opposite directions in the nest.

Calliope hummers winter in old Mexico. One wonders if they think in Spanish or English. Which is their native tongue?

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Descriptions continued...