Greetings, all,

On June 19, Seattle Audubon Society's Bird Watch group (high school
students) visited the Big Four trail off the Mountain Loop Highway
(20-25 miles east of Granite Falls). Among other birds, we had the
fortune to have long views of Black Swifts foraging fairly low overhead.
At least 12-14 birds were present between 9:30 and 1:30 and
beyond--pretty much whenever we looked up from the lower part of the
trail. There are many waterfalls among the snow fields on the cliff of
Big Four Mountain. I don't know whether nesting has been documented
there. I also don't know whether the behavior we observed is
predictable at this site, but if so, it may be one of the easiest places
to see this bird. The lower trail is level, much of it boardwalk, and
probably accessible by wheelchair. Weather, often a factor in where
these mobile birds spend the day, was hot and clear. There were also
many Vaux's Swifts, some drinking from ponds only a dozen feet from us.

Cheers,

Alan Grenon
Seattle, WA
panmail AT fastmail.fm
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pan
panmail at fastmail.fm