We stayed in a Air B&B cabin on the Greenbrier River last weekend. It was good to be back in my old stomping grounds of Lewisburg, WV and the river was as beautiful as ever.
Funny, but on the way over, Nancy and I thought about Whip-poor-wills and wondered if we would be able to hear one again in these remote backwoods.
Did we ever.
The little fellow Whip-poor-will-ed his heart out. Started just after dark and kept it up till just before sunrise.
Whip-poor-wills are nocturnal. They migrate, call, court, and feed almost exclusively at night. Their primary foods are moths and other night-flying insects.
The whip-poor-will’s life history is tied very closely to the moon cycle and there was a full moon both nights we were there. Their calls are most intense around the full moons of May and June. They lay their eggs so that the chicks hatch ten days before a full moon; that way, the adults will have the maximum amount of moonlight to forage as they feed their chicks.
Whip-poor-wills are extremely well camouflaged, but I happened upon one many years ago as I was arriving at Lake Sherando near Waynesboro for a fishing trip. I heard the bird calling when I got out of the car and saw him in the parking lot, right on the pavement. We said our “howdies” and I went around him and left as he started singing again.
The Whip-poor-wills’ cry is haunting, yet peaceful and Nancy and I both enjoyed a good night’s sleep.