MORNING SENTINEL • June 8, 2022
The Whip-poor-wills used to drive me mad at night. Or lull me to sleep. I can’t remember anything in between. In bed, I heard them repeat their name over and over in the dark, relentlessly, one phrase: Whip-poor-will. Whip-poor-will. The Whip-poor-will’s cretic song is unforgettable. Between 1966 and 2019, Whip-poor-will populations declined by about 61%. It’s thought that habitat disruptions caused by agriculture and sprawl are causing problems for them, not to mention other birds. Whip-poor-will numbers could be dropping because of a lack of food, brought about by what looks like a widespread crash in flying insect populations. I’d give almost anything to be driven mad again by that song. ~ Dana Wilde