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The European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) is a crepuscular and nocturnal insect-eating bird that breeds across Europe and temperate Asia. All six subspecies of this nightjar are migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. Their densely patterned grey and brown plumage makes them difficult to see in the daytime when they rest on the ground or perch motionless along a branch, although the male shows white patches in the wings and tail in flight. The preferred habitat is dry, open country with some trees and small bushes. The breeding male has a churring trill, and patrols his territory with wings held in a V-shape. The female lays two eggs directly on the ground; they hatch after about 17–21 days and the chicks fledge in another 16–17 days. Both "Caprimulgus" and the old name "goatsucker" refer to the myth that nightjars suckled she-goats, causing them to cease to give milk. Its large numbers and huge breeding range mean that it is classed by the IUCN as being of least concern. (Full article...)

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On this day

April 30: Reunification Day in Vietnam (1975)

Remnant of SN 1006

1006 – SN 1006 (remnant pictured), the brightest supernova in recorded history, first appeared in the constellation Lupus.
1789 – George Washington took the oath of office as the first president of the United States at Federal Hall in New York City.
1945 – World War II: As Allied forces closed in on Berlin, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler committed suicide in the Führerbunker with Eva Braun one day after their marriage.
1982 – Sixteen monks and a nun of the Hindu organisation Ananda Marga were beaten to death and set on fire in Calcutta, India.
1997 – In "The Puppy Episode", the lead character of the TV series Ellen, played by Ellen DeGeneres, came out as lesbian.

Marie of the Incarnation (d. 1672)
Emily Stowe (d. 1903)
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Charles S. Fairchild (April 30, 1842 – November 24, 1924) was a New York businessman and politician who served as United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1887 to 1889 and Attorney General of New York from 1876 to 1877. This line engraving of Fairchild was produced around 1902 by the Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) as part of a BEP presentation album of the first 42 secretaries of the treasury.

Engraving credit: Bureau of Engraving and Printing; restored by Andrew Shiva

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