1893
June 21
(No 5)
Andover, Conn.

in all three or four pairs thus engaged. They were
ridiculously [?] allowing me to approach within ten to
fifteen feet.  One pair had chosen a piece of road directly in
front of the hotel when they were constantly distracted
by teams & foot passengers.
[margin]Night-hawks[/margin]

 When on the ground they carried their wings loosely folded,
the "shoulder" joints drooping so that they almost touched the
earth. When approached closely (& perhaps at other times also)
they alternately raised & lowered their heads by lengthening &
shortening the neck, precisely in the manner of a Screech Owl.
When its attention is attracted by something, the motion
bring a slow, bobbing one. For minutes at a time the bird
would sit squatting in the dust without moving at all.
When on the ground they were invariably silent but
next day, at about noon, I heard a male Night Hawk
which had just alighted on a rock in a field with
its peep several times in succession while sitting still
with its wings folded.

 During the succeeding four days the weather was cool
and for the most part cloudy & rainy or windy. Although
we saw Night Hawks every evening none of them alighted
in the roads again. It is evident that this habit
is only indulged in [delete]during[/delete] occasionally and under certain
conditions, probably when the weather is warm and
the roads are dry & dusty.
