Aerial manoeuvres in the dark
I suffer from noise induced hearing loss. The pennant-winged nightjar is one of the many birds whose calls fall within those frequencies that I cannot hear. For people with good hearing the soft, high-pitched call of this nightjar often serves as warning that they are around; the bird is much less often seen due to its nocturnal habits. Its brown-mottled plumage keeps it well camouflaged during the day when it is sleeping, their cryptic appearance blending perfectly into their chosen habitat.
We arranged a stakeout at a venue njorth of Punda where the pennant-winged nightjar is known to display.
Because the western night sky still provided enough of a backdrop to see the silhouettes of the nightjars while they performed their aerobatic displays, we didn’t use any light during the watch. Patrick, our SANParks guide, pointed in the direction from where their calls were coming and soon I was able to fire off some shots. Two males and a female performed briefly overhead before alighting on the road near where our vehicle was parked. At times one or both males again took to the night sky and executed complicated but graceful aerial manoeuvres, giving me another opportunity to record them in flight.
The pennants streaming out behind them created an eerie, flowing image of swirls and whorls I have never observed before.
Aerial manoeuvres in the dark
I suffer from noise induced hearing loss. The pennant-winged nightjar is one of the many birds whose calls fall within those frequencies that I cannot hear. For people with good hearing the soft, high-pitched call of this nightjar often serves as warning that they are around; the bird is much less often seen due to its nocturnal habits. Its brown-mottled plumage keeps it well camouflaged during the day when it is sleeping, their cryptic appearance blending perfectly into their chosen habitat.
We arranged a stakeout at a venue njorth of Punda where the pennant-winged nightjar is known to display.
Because the western night sky still provided enough of a backdrop to see the silhouettes of the nightjars while they performed their aerobatic displays, we didn’t use any light during the watch. Patrick, our SANParks guide, pointed in the direction from where their calls were coming and soon I was able to fire off some shots. Two males and a female performed briefly overhead before alighting on the road near where our vehicle was parked. At times one or both males again took to the night sky and executed complicated but graceful aerial manoeuvres, giving me another opportunity to record them in flight.
The pennants streaming out behind them created an eerie, flowing image of swirls and whorls I have never observed before.