"Broken wing" display

Hey Everybirdy,

While out chasing Florida Scrub-jays at this time of year, we have the tendency to run into several Common Nighthawks nesting. Sometimes they nestle up to clumps of grass, sometimes they're out in the open sand of the scrub. Either way they are difficult to see until you flush'em. Always try to calculate which way they came from so as not to step on the eggs, but with camera slung over shoulder, I couldn't pass up the photo op of her "broken wing" display.



View attachment 96839

 

Thanks Louie. The first shot, I was just on the wrong side of the bird and it was back lit by the morning sun.
Thanks for looking!

 

Thanks everyone. Always enjoyed watching the nighthawks flyover at dusk and listen to their "peenting". The last couple of years I've had many new encounters that exhibit these birds to be far more animated than I had thought.