On a fine evening with skies touched by sublime reds of an autumnal sunset, a lone nighthawk flitted southward beneath the clouds. It was a partly cloudy evening, with forceful winds from the south, ensuring that the bird had to make its determined way.
Every evening of the Common Nighthawk migration along the Missouri River valley is especially expressive by each event, however seen from any particular scene. Each is different. Winds vary. Any extent of cloudiness in never the same. Precipitation is profoundly influential, and sometimes stifling.
Colors of the sky convey the always changing characteristics as the nighthawks and other wildbirds move along during their southern migration, replicating movements represented by centuries before there were any chronicles.
Nighthawk sky on at October evening at Carthage.
At a local spot with an open vista from a Hamilton Street parking lot, the birds are the focus, while the local language certainly not English. On some recent nights, some residents were focused on a can or bottle of booze. The litter is obvious nearly daily.
Above the hard-scape of the city grounds, the skies are a place of freedom for the flights of birds, while — of course — ignoring the obvious hazards present, and most obviously indicated by multiple contrails of planes which split the blue with their artificial lines of a domineering civilization.
The last nighthawk of the season was silently making its way southward on the evening of October 8th over Carthage. There may have been others elsewhere, but no one was watching. Recent weather to the north has been harsh in the past few days, so where has this sojourner been lingering in apparent solitude beneath the sliver of a moon.
The sublime movement of each special Common Nighthawk migrating southward begins in September along the Missouri River valley. Their flight is a regular occurrence, but known to few that look into the skies as these birds move along in their autumnal migration.
During the early days of September, languidly flying along, these birds are obvious — especially in the evening skies — going southward above the urban-scape of Omaha. Numbers vary. There are several obvious places suited to their observation, extending from the riverfront, westward to midtown and to the western edge of the county, based upon observations made this season. Some inter-urban locales are vantage points where a wonderful multitude can be seen passing overhead in the expressively changing dome of the sky.
The Carthage neighborhood is an example. Just to the east of here, the Izard Industrial Zone also has a setting with features such as obscured skies suitable to observing an expanse without obstructions.
Most of the counts from this autumn come from these two places, such as Bellevue, Sarpy County, and the T.L. Davis Prairie along the Elkhorn River in western Douglas county. These other records are included, as indicated by the online forum NEBirds, to provide comparative details on the geographic extent of this season's autumnal nighthawk flights, as observed.
Results indicate that mid-September is a prime time to relax, find a comfortable seat that provides an expansive overhead view, note your time of arrival and pay attention to the antics of the nighthawks.
The peak count from this autumn was September 11th, when approximately 1400 were noted in east Omaha, the extent split between Carthage and the Izard Industrial Zone, just to the east, across the bisectual traffic-strewn Northwest Radial Highway with its seemingly incessant road traffic. Once beyond, the spectacle in the skies once again were the sight to enjoy. It was a phantasmagoria of nighthawk flight. Fewer of these special birds continued to occur through September. The latest local record for this season was October 4th. There are other historic records from later dates, but snow storms in the west, chilly overnight temperatures, and other weather features have been sufficient to get the insect-eating nighthawks to move southward to more suitable climes.
This possibly final nighthawk of the season may not be the last occurrence of this species. There are several other records for October for the Douglas County area, so perhaps one or a few may still pass southward. Whether or not they will be seen, is not known?
Autumn Season Summary
This is summary of nighthawk counts for Missouri River valley region in east-central Nebraska for autumn 2013.
| Julian Date | Bemis Park District | Mercer District | Izard District | Saddle Creek District | Carthage District | Dundee District | Memorial Park District | Midtown Omaha District | Elkhorn Valley District | Bellevue District |
| 245 | - - | - - | - - | 16 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 246 | - - | - - | 57 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 247 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 46 | - - | - - | - - |
| 248 | - - | - - | 184 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 249 | - - | - - | 47 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 250 | - - | 65 | 33 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 251 | - - | - - | 191 | - - | 12 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 253 | - - | - - | 55 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - |
| 254 | - - | - - | 750 | - - | 672 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 255 | - - | - - | 15 | - - | 95 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 256 | - - | - - | 35 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 257 | - - | - - | 48 | - - | 22 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 258 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 259 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 261 | - - | - - | 57 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 262 | - - | - - | 65 | - - | 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 263 | - - | 15 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 264 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 10 | - - | - - |
| 265 | - - | - - | 11 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 267 | - - | - - | 16 | - - | 7 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 268 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 55 |
| 269 | - - | - - | 3 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 270 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 35 |
| 271 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 12 | - - | - - | 43 | - - |
| 272 | - - | - - | 14 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 273 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 274 | - - | - - | 18 | - - | 55 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 275 | 22 | - - | - - | - - | 32 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 15 |
| 276 | - - | - - | 4 | - - | 28 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 8 |
| 277 | - - | - - | 4 | - - | 12 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 281 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Julian date 281 is October 8, 2013.