Bull Bat or Common Nighthawk~~~

[Charmin]

My daughter took this shot of a common nighthawk yesterday as we were going fishing. He was perched on the fence.
My grandpa used to call these birds "Bull Bats". They look similar to a Whippoorwill.
Enjoy~~~sandcreek4

 

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[packerbacker]

Interesting shot...thanks for sharing. What's with the 4 barbs on the wire, keeping in rhinos? Don't see much of that around here and I'm in kind of a cattle area.

 

[Charmin]

Interesting shot...thanks for sharing. What's with the 4 barbs on the wire, keeping in rhinos? Don't see much of that around here and I'm in kind of a cattle area.

Hey packerbacker--the 4 barb-wire is for Bison(buffalo)--we live on an animal preserve that has about 3000 head of buffalo. The fence is 7 wire. It keeps them in only because they want to stay in--if they really wanted to get out, they could just walk through it .
regards~~sandcreek4

 

[packerbacker]

That explains it!!

 

[Monty]

Bullbat and Common Nighthawk are the same bird. Monty

 

[Charmin]

Bullbat and Common Nighthawk are the same bird. Monty

Yeah, we knew that Monty, but just thought some people might not know they were one and the same. I don't think my grandpa knew that they were also referred to as the "nighthawk" as he always just called them bullbats. It was really kinda neat to see this bird in the daytime because we usually don't see them unless we are out driving after dark. They've got BIG eyes . Kinda cool looking bird!
kind regards~~sandcreek

 

[naturegirl]

Whipoorwill family. They are also called goat suckers in europe. The corners of thier mouths are soft so they can open wide to catch insects, they feed on the wing. Peasents believed the mouths were soft because they nursed goats?. I'm sorry! Bird geek, what can I say? We have two other whipporwills in the area. I've never seen them but I hear them alot, thier call is very persistant in the woods at night. The most common is the Chuck-will's-widow. That's what he says, Chuck(barely audible)Will's wi-dow(loud and quick). and he says it over and over. But not as fast as the whipoorwill. who says purple-rib, purple-rib, alot faster than Chuck. I apologise once again, but I like these birds, they are what nighttime sounds like.. I bet you've heard them.

I know, my family tells me not everyone want to hear everything I know about birds, but anyway.....

naturegirl

 

[Charmin]

Whipoorwill family. They are also called goat suckers in europe. The corners of thier mouths are soft so they can open wide to catch insects, they feed on the wing. Peasents believed the mouths were soft because they nursed goats?. I'm sorry! Bird geek, what can I say? We have two other whipporwills in the area. I've never seen them but I hear them alot, thier call is very persistant in the woods at night. The most common is the Chuck-will's-widow. That's what he says, Chuck(barely audible)Will's wi-dow(loud and quick). and he says it over and over. But not as fast as the whipoorwill. who says purple-rib, purple-rib, alot faster than Chuck. I apologise once again, but I like these birds, they are what nighttime sounds like.. I bet you've heard them.

I know, my family tells me not everyone want to hear everything I know about birds, but anyway.....

naturegirl

Naturegirl--I just thought there was one kind of whippoorwill! Thanks for educating me, its always nice to have friends who are a little "geeky" ! Whippoorwills make the most beautiful and mournful sounds! I miss them when they leave in the Fall.
regards~~sandcreek

 

[RGINN]

Cool pic, Sandcreek. I've never seen one sitting on a fence. Most folks never see them because when they sit on the ground, they blend in perfectly. You're right about buffalo. Fences mean nothing to them if they get the notion.

 

[Charmin]

Cool pic, Sandcreek. I've never seen one sitting on a fence. Most folks never see them because when they sit on the ground, they blend in perfectly. You're right about buffalo. Fences mean nothing to them if they get the notion.

Thanks RGINN! That bird looked like he was asleep sitting there on that fence .
We watched a buffalo jump a pipe rail fence by our house one day--he just hooked his front legs over the top of it and bounced right on over! He jumped into our horse trap with our horses and donkey and they just about freaked out! About 4 hours later he had enough of the horse trap and jumped back out. I think those things are about half mountain goat!!.
regards~~sandcreek

 

[buckshot]

Hey sandcreek, I took this pic one evening as i was walking the hiking trail up at the TGP of your bullbat/common nighthawk sitting on the fence. I like to go up and watch the AWESOME sunsets and hear the coyotes... buckshot

 

[Charmin]

Hey sandcreek, I took this pic one evening as i was walking the hiking trail up at the TGP of your bullbat/common nighthawk sitting on the fence. I like to go up and watch the AWESOME sunsets and hear the coyotes... buckshot

Nice pic., buckshot! We do have some awesome sunsets here on the prairie. Glad you're enjoying that hiking trail--we've got a big bobcat that stays down around the trail-head so be on the lookout for him! We also saw some badgers down there by the Sand Creek bridge.
kind regards~~sandcreek

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Yep, same bird......great pics

 

[Mental Granny]

Great pics and info love learning new things!

 

[Tnmountains]

Great shot Sandcreek. They are beautiful. I have friends that are birders and that one would be framed in their living room.
Thank you for sharing.

 

[Tricia]

bullbat?

Can anyone explain that? Doesn't look like a bat that would bother a bull. Doesn't look like a big bat with horns either.

Thank you.

 

[Charmin]

Yep, same bird......great pics

Thanks 4-H!! regards~~sandcreek

Great pics and info love learning new things!

Thanks MG!! kind regards~~sandcreek

Great shot Sandcreek. They are beautiful. I have friends that are birders and that one would be framed in their living room.
Thank you for sharing.

We have so many of my daughters pictures in frames that we're running out of wall space ! We found a place online where you can upload a picture and they will make it into a poster!
Thanks for the comments, TnMountains!
regards~~sandcreek

 

[Charmin]

bullbat?

Can anyone explain that? Doesn't look like a bat that would bother a bull. Doesn't look like a big bat with horns either.

Thank you.

Tricia~~when these birds fly, they kinda duck and dive like a bat. And maybe because they're out in the pasture with cattle(bulls) that's how they got their nickname "Bullbat". If I'm wrong somebody will correct me .
regards~~sandcreek

 

[Tricia]

Thank you Sand. I accept that. Logical.