Subject: Vaux's swift roost in Enumclaw
Date: May 17 11:10:27 1999
From: Michael Donahue - mgd at u.washington.edu


Friday night (5/14) I went out to view the swifts entering their night roost in Enumclaw, as had been reported on tweeters early last week. I ran into Bill Reichert and his family, and Jeff Antonelis-Lapp, the Enumclaw resident who's helped make this roost known to the birding community. Jeff was very happy to run into others who were interested in the swifts!

It was truly amazing, watching 300-400 swifts swirling around the chimney, then suddenly dropping down into it. Jeff said that this roost has been used all spring and summer for at least the last couple of years; it's not just a spring migrant roost as I had presumed.
So you have all summer to get out there and view this spectacle!

Once again, they are going to a roost in a chimney at dusk. The chimney is associated with either the police station or the theater next door, I wasn't quite sure which. As you're heading into Enumclaw on highway 169 you will see a small blue sign that says "Police" and an arrow pointing left. (This is one block before the end of 169, which is also signed.) Turn left and the police station is just a block away. There's a park with picnic tables across the street where you can sit and view the swifts.

Mike Donahue
Seattle