Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 20:41:42 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Paul Woodward Subject: Project Nighthawk Comments: To: vabird MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Now in its second season, Project Nighthawk is a cooperative effort to study the fall migration of the Common Nighthawk. It is coordinated by volunteers at the Jacks' Mountain Hawkwatch in Mifflin Co., PA. Originally envisioned as a PA-only project, it quickly expanded last fall to include 28 watchsites in 13 states. Observers spent 2-3 hours before sunset each evening from mid-August to early September counting migrating nighthawks. Result can be found at http://www.vicon.net/~ris/Home.htm My wife, Joan, and I watched at VanDyke Park in Fairfax City, VA, regularly from mid-August to mid-September and less regularly until early October. We had our major flights in late August and the second week of September with lesser ones September 26-27 and October 3, but I am not sure if this is typical since the weather pattern from Hurricane Dennis prevented any significant movement in early September. Another thing I am interested in is the abundance of migrating nighthawks over the metro D.C. area (are they more common in some areas than in others?). To answer this question requires more observers. I am watching again this year from mid-August until at least late September. If anyone is interested in participating in Project Nighthawk(all you need is a spot with a clear view of a large portion of the sky).,they can find the details, including the data forms, on the aforementioned Web Page, or by contacting either the project coordinator, Ron Singer, at ris@vicon.net or me at grackling@worldnet.att.net. Ron would like to know who is watching and where. Paul Woodward Fairfax City, VA grackling@worldnet.att.net ========================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ========================================================================== =========================================================================