Subject: 0 Swifts into Chimney 9-11-04
Date: Sep 12 10:33:52 2004
From: Lynn Schulz - linusq at worldnet.att.net


Hi Tweeters:
A friend and I went to the log booms down along the north part of
Commencement Bay yesterday in the late afternoon and observed several
hundred loafing California Gulls, and more than 33 Great Blue Herons
on the logs. There were 2 Spotted Sandpipers, and a few Least
Sandpipers on
the logs. Nearby at the Hylebos Waterway by the permenently-open 11th
St Bridge, we watched a Peregrine Falcon with its tail spread slowly
soaring over the bluffs. Then it went into a stoop and tried to catch
a bird near the open bridge. It is about the first time I have ever
watched a long stoop. Wow. Fast. But the falcon apparently didn't
catch any prey.
>From Federal Way, I headed east to Auburn, and saw some Vaux's Swifts
over the Argus Ranch's barn last night, but they never entered the
chimney. I had checked out this barn near Flaming Geyser State Park,
which is SW of Auburn, WA on Thurs, but on that night I had not
arrived until 7:20pm, and there were no swallows or swifts flying. So
last night I arrived at the barn early, about 6:10pm. I parked in the
enormous lot at the dog training ranch. They were conducting dog
training trials there.
Some Barn Swallows and Violet-green Swallows were flying and about 10
minutes later I finally saw 1 swift high overhead. Then I had to wait
about 15 minutes for another swift. I saw 2 swifts at 6:50. At 6:55
I saw 4 swifts over the barn, and that was the last of them. I
lingered until almost dark at 7:20. A few swallows would occasionally
appear but I gave up on the swifts. What a bummer. I had hopes for
seeing some swifts flying into the chimney, because I had seen 7
Vaux's Swifts fly into it on Aug 31, '04. But those birds may have
moved south by now. I guess I have no data for this weekend's Swift
Night Out. Hope someone else finds some swifts around here, maybe in
Seattle, Enumclaw, or Tenino.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines, WA
mailto:linusq at att.net