I took Nellie out for a walk this afternoon and routed us past where I had seen a nighthawk multiple times. All of a sudden mother nighthawk blasted out from under a pine tree and did her wounded bird act. At the same time, her chick flew off in the opposite direction. I moved away, looped Nellie’s leash over a tree branch, and shot some photos of the mother doing her act. That’s when I noticed the chick behind me, returning partway to the pine tree and then virtually disappearing. I located the chick; shot a few photos (I was using a powerful lens); reclaimed Nellie; then let mother nighthawk have the satisfaction of leading us away.
Here are the shots:
1. Mother nighthawk pretending to be injured.
2. Baby nighthawk from a distance (to show the camouflage).
3. Baby nighthawk close-up. Note how the chick barely has its eye open. This is intentional—reducing eye-shine while still being able to watch me.
4. Mother nighthawk on a branch, after successfully leading Nellie and me away from her chick.
(Photographed at the Essen Wildlife Refuge in Montana.)