Photo by Bill Schmoker. Look here for other great photos by Bill.
Late in August the southward movement of the Nighthawks begins, and it continues intermittently through the greater part of September. Unlike the nocturnal migrations of most of our small land birds, the travels of the Nighthawk are made by day. The birds are seen commonly passing southward along some river valley in numbers from a score to a hundred or more in loose scattered flocks, flying about in a leisurely manner at no great height above the ground or water, and catching insects as they go. These flocks sometimes rest during a part of the day, either on the ground or in trees on rough and rocky ground, and if undisturbed begin their journey toward evening, first filling their stomachs as they go.
When the flocks are feeding, they do not always move southward, and sometimes they have been observed to travel in exactly the opposite direction. There are certain routes over water which are followed by them, and which take them far off from the direct southwesterly course. But the general movement trends southward.
There are still many questions that need to be answered about the Nighthawk migration through this area. The routes travelled by these birds are still not well understood. The SuAsCo/Nashua Rivers Nighthawk Survey attempts to answer some of these questions. The survey period corresponds to the migration period, and runs from roughly mid-August to late-September.
If you have questions about this survey or this website, or you are interested in participating in the survey, send email to
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