At the end of patrolling the North Beach for turtle tracks this morning, we found this bird next to the path back to the golf cart road.  It was sitting on an 8 foot high piece of PVC pipe.  It didn’t fly away even when we got within about 5 feet of it.  We weren’t sure if it was sick or tired or if it just didn’t feel threatened.  Any idea what it is?  Hints: they nest in the washover areas at the north and south ends of the beach.  They eat lots and lots of insects at dawn and dusk.

Scroll down for the answer.

This is a nighthawk.  To learn more, see http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Chordeiles_minor/

You might also enjoy this video by Judy Drew Fairchild on how to protect shorebirds on Dewees.