Hi, Tweets

It's amazing what two small raptors?one accipiter
and one falcon? can do to a large swirl of
swifts. Last night's count at the big Monroe
celebration was many more people than birds. Our
official count of 389 swifts probably meant that
many of the previous night's 14,000+ were on
their way south. Still, the appearance of
predators can cause the swifts to look for
another night's roost and there are at least two,
apparently not used much, that they can go to.
Even so, it was a great night with a huge
turnout, swifts doing their thing, good food, and interesting booths.

I have to add that a lovely adult turkey vulture
flew over the school about two hours before the swifts arrived!

Cheers, Diann

Diann MacRae
Olympic Vulture Study
22622 - 53rd Avenue S.E.
Bothell, WA 98021
tvulture at vei.net