As I took Kino on his walk to the pond I pondered spring birds to there was only the thinnest slice of moon to illuminate our surroundings. We had been watching birds in the yard and I had hoped for my first Lesser Nighthawk for the season. The White-lined Sphinx moths had already arrived, carousing our Autumn Sage blooms at night, and camping by our front porch light. I can still remember when I first saw one of these moths, their behavior being very similar to hummingbirds as they hovered over the blooms, showing off their colors.
Speaking of hummingbirds, Mrs. Humms, our Broad-billed Hummingbird, is nesting in our yard for the 2nd year in a row. Her new nest about 2 feet away from her first on a sturdier section of our catclaw vine. We thought it was a safer location, but we had a tremendous windstorm a couple nights ago, and now it seems a bit tilted. Mrs S is really worried and tied some strings for support to the branch, which is helping. All we can do now is hope for the best We have confidence after seeing her build her nest from scratch like a master weaver, using her long red beak as a sewing needle, weaving with intricate detail the spider webs, string, and dog fur into a carefully crafted nest.
As Kino and I neared the pond I saw a shadowy figure overing over the center, lifting the wings in a steep dihedral lower its head and take a drink. My first Lesser Nighthawk of the season! Afterward it leaned right and disappeared into cover of the moonless night. 
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