Hi Ho Tweets

I was out at the Frank Wagner Middle School in Monroe this evening and
was joined by Penny Koyama and her husband. The Vaux's Swifts started
gathering about 6:50 as a general gathering. They started organizing
themselves and just before 7 were startling a circular swirl around the
old brick chimney. We estimated in excess of 1000, and at 7 they started
to drop into the chimney in increasing numbers. When we estimated that
somewhere around 1000 had gone in, we looked up and the crowd was bigger
than ever. About this time a Merlin made an appearance. It made a couple
of circular passes at the swifts around the chimney and then flew off to
a tree top and perched. It remained for a minute or so and flew off to
the west. Michael Hobbs said it went quite a ways west then came back,
passed over the chimney and flew off east.

The swifts, being panicked gained altitude and practiced evasive
techniques for a while, then began to reform around the chimney. The
process continued until about 7:20 pm, at which time we estimated there
had been between 3000 and 3500 birds.
It was interesting to watch their approach procedure - circling around
and around in decreasing ciricles, gradually assuming a near horizontal
position and fluttering in flight until just over the opening when they
assumed a vertical position, tail down. If it got too crowded, they
would break off and circle away for another attempt.

We were on the Main Street side, and Michael and some others were on the
north side of the school. He said that one of the teachers came by and
said the birds had been there for years.

A really impressive show - I don't know how long it will continue but
its worth a trip out to Monroe to catch it.

Brian Bell
Woodinville Wa
bellasoc at isomedia.com