The Vaux's Swift watching was fabulous last night. My friend Andrea and I were just 2 of about a dozen people watching the event as it unfolded.

We got there at 6:10pm and there were already a couple of hundred swifts flying around, but none going into the chimney that we could ascertain. By 7:15, there were at least 1500-2000 birds swirling about. At 7:28pm, we noted that they were lining up and entering the chimney, and at 7:52 the last bird entered (and at 7:54 the first bat flew by).

I believe sunset was at 7:35ish last night, so it was pretty dark by the time the last birds could be seen arriving and dropping down the chimney. Hard to see at the end, but worth the stay. Sunset will be a few minutes earlier by Saturday, so if you are there by no later than 7pm, you will get to see everything, and it'll be 45-55 minutes of great fun!

Two notes: take chairs if you have them, or your chiropractor will show you no love; and walk waround to the back of the school - you can get even closer to the chimney on the back side of the school (and there is a nest of ready-to-fledge Barn Swallows at a nest above a door back there).

Have fun and good birding!

Brett A. Wolfe
Seattle, WA
m_lincolnii at yahoo.com

RICHARD L COREY <silverside1948 at msn.com> wrote:
Did you get to the Monroe swifts on Thursday? Fellow Tweeter and I was going to go up Saturday.
Wondering about what time I should be there. Can you see them even if it?s a little dark?Thanks for asking about the directions.
Sally



---------------------------------
Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more.