I am forwarding this information I received from Bonnie and Dennis White,
Columbia Gorge Audubon Society. For additional information about either
please contact them directly at oakridge at gorge.net.

(1) Saturday, May 8th, the North American Migration Count (NMAC) for birds
was held for Klickitat County. Bonnie and I surveyed Rock Creek canyon from
the confluence with the Columbia River to its intersection with the
Bickleton Highway. Over 500 Vaux's swifts and 300 violet-green swallows
were initially counted but due to the large numbers we stopped counting to
survey other species. The entire length of the canyon was saturated with
these species. In many instances the swifts were flying very low.

A cold Northwest air mass has been over the Mid-Columbia for the past
several days. It was warm (relatively so) in the canyon yesterday with
cold, windy and even snowy conditions on the bluffs. Weather conditions
throughout the Gorge proper were unsettled as well. Insect hatches, both
aquatic and terrestrial were occurring throughout the canyon. Wild Bird
magazine reported (February '99) a 53% mortality rate (30,000 birds) of
cliff swallows along a hundred mile stretch of the Platte River in Nebraska
(a University of Tulsa research study area) when a six-day cold spell
occurred, with temperatures ranging from 40-50 degrees with some daily rain.
These conditions approximate what has occurred in the Mid-Columbia in
recent days.

Could Rock Creek Canyon be an important "migrant trap" for these species,
particularly when weather conditions are as they were yesterday? Last year
at this time regional weather conditions were dominated by warm southwest
winds--swallow and swift counts for Rock Creek were nominal. Any thoughts
on this?

Dennis

(2) I was checking out tweeters and noticed that someone had posted a Vaux's
Swift night roost in Enumclaw. I wanted to share information we had on one
in Lyle. It is in the chimney of the old school right down town. There is
a yard with swings where people can view them from--also the street behind
the building has very little traffic and is an excellent viewing spot. On
4/28 we counted 1045 swifts going to roost, between 7:45 and 9 pm.

Bonnie