Larry McQueen's description as follows (posted on OBOL) is too good to be
left in OR, so here it is.


Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 22:08:53 -0400
Reply-To: McQueen/Brown <76150.3020 at COMPUSERVE.COM>
Sender: obol List <OBOL at MAIL.ORST.EDU>
From: McQueen/Brown <76150.3020 at COMPUSERVE.COM>
Subject: MERLIN TAKES SWIFT
To: Multiple recipients of list OBOL <OBOL at MAIL.ORST.EDU>

About 200 swifts went down the Condon chimney in a single mass at about
6:35. It was fascinating to watch the group tighten up after a Merlin
cased the flock and made passes at a few swifts. The Merlin then
disappeared while the swifts flew around for some time in a swarm which
changed shape but tended toward spherical. I had never seen such a tight
formation of swifts. When the group was ready to descend, it did, so
suddenly it could have been missed. But in the midst of it, the Merlin was
right there, nabbed a swift at the opening, then flew with its prey still
flapping, over my head.

I had seen the Merlin earlier, flying high, when the swifts were still
rather scattered. A sharpie was also in the area, soaring.

Larry McQueen
Eugene