Thanks Larry and Richard for your informative e-mails. Certainly, nesting
sites behind waterfalls and such immediately came to mind and I can remember
visiting colonies in sea caves along the California coastline. Neither
of these seemed viable here in Battle Ground about 25 miles north of
Portland, OR which is why I wanted feedback.

My mind was starting to wander to the possibility of non-breeding presumably
sub-adult Black Swifts possibly roosting in burned out large tree trunks or
something similar. This would certainly put them closer to this location.
However, I won't obsess on this as I have done with Swainson's Trhushes!

Sorry, now that I am back home from my recent bout of travelling, my mind
can start contemplating such things.
Thanks

Jim

--
Jim Danzenbaker
Battle Ground, WA
360-723-0345
jdanzenbaker at gmail.com
On Thu, Jul 3, 2008 at 1:00 PM, Larry Schwitters <lpatters at ix.netcom.com>
wrote:

> Richard,
>
> There was a cave nest site that was discovered in BC and there are some
> sites that are beside trickling water, but it seems dry cliffs don't do it
> for this species. Rich Levad really does a great job of laying in all out
> in his Coolest Bird book.
>
> Larry
>
> On Jul 3, 2008, at 10:44 AM, Richard Carlson wrote:
>
> Black Swifts nest in sea caves in California and BC, and on high
>> non-waterfall cliffs in BC. Maybe they are trying non-waterfall locations
>> in Washington. They ordinarily feed so high that they are seen only in
>> unusually bad weather, like this May & June here in Seattle.
>>
>> Richard Carlson
>> Full-time Birder, Biker and Rotarian
>> Part-time Economist
>> Tucson, AZ, Lake Tahoe, CA, & Kirkland, WA
>> rccarl at pacbell.net
>> Tucson 520-760-4935
>> Tahoe 530-581-0624
>> Kirkland 425-828-3819
>> Cell 650-280-2965
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----
>> From: Larry Schwitters <lpatters at ix.netcom.com>
>> To: Jim Danzenbaker <jdanzenbaker at gmail.com>
>> Cc: tweeters at u.washington.edu
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 2, 2008 11:50:28 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Battle Ground Black Swift & Questions
>>
>> Jim,
>>
>> I had the same thoughts viewing a single low flying Black Swift just
>> SE of Mt St. Helens in the very early morning of July 10, 2005.
>>
>> Not every bird breeds and they travel long distances. It still makes
>> one think that there should be a waterfall for at least roosting
>> within 50 miles or so, especially if you saw yours in the evening.
>>
>> The closest maybe but probably not site is Panther Falls in the
>> Gifford Pinchot. Another maybe, but probably not, is Starvation Creek
>> Falls on the Oregon side of the Columbia. For all the waterfalls that
>> there are along the Columbia, none of them seem to have a swift nest
>> friendly rock structure. Basalt usually doesn't cut it.
>>
>> Someone needs to hike up Oregon's Eagle Creek trail and check out all
>> the waterfalls up there, especially Tunnel Falls.
>>
>> Larry Schwitters
>> Issaquah
>> On Jul 2, 2008, at 8:43 PM, Jim Danzenbaker wrote:
>>
>> HI Tweeters,
>>>
>>> At 7:30 tonight, I was surprised to see a single low flying unmistable
>>> BLACK SWIFT cruise by the yard in Battle Ground, Clark County. I have
>>> only seen this species once before from the yard and that was during
>>> their spring migration last year. Tonight's sighting makes no sense
>>> to me though - they shouldn't be around here now. However, tonight
>>> there are some large cumulus clouds around (especially one to the East
>>> which looks like it may be enveloping the closest foothills and
>>> mountains) and generally cloudy overall. That leads me to ask the
>>> following questions:
>>>
>>> Where is the closest known Black Swift breeding colony to central
>>> Clark County?
>>> Do subadult birds hang out at the breeding colonies or could they
>>> "wander"?
>>> Has anyone else seen any Black Swifts away from breeding clonies
>>> lately?
>>>
>>> A single Vaux's Swift just flew by which is only the second one I've
>>> seen from the yard this year.
>>>
>>> Thanks for any information.
>>>
>>> Jim
>>> --
>>> Jim Danzenbaker
>>> Battle Ground, WA
>>> 360-723-0345
>>> jdanzenbaker at gmail.com
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Tweeters mailing list
>>> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
>>> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>>>
>>
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>>
>>
>