Common nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) circling above the Decatur First United Methodist Church steeple - the lights attract the bugs that the birds eat - you can see their white wing markings as they feed. Their short beaks and wide mouths are surrounded by whiskers that help scoop in their prey. Saw 4 in all, about 9:30 PM Friday Sept 25th. No diving though - we used to watch them at our old condo on Briarcliff Road, a complex with many flat roofs where they may have nested, circling very high towards twilight, and dive at great speed with a distinctive buzzing sound like rubber bands in a wind tunnel coming from their primary feathers, as well as BEEEEZRH screech, which Sibley describes as the male courting display.
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