Tweeters,

The Monroe Wagner chimney count was a little over 3,000 last night.
Its 6:15 and the Vaux's Swifts seem to be wide awake and very slowly
moving up the bricks. Looks like light rain and based on what side of
the chimney most of the birds are clinging to, any wind is out of the
west.

This is a big day for the little birdies and Bad Bill. There is a
family of crows that makes the swifts morning exit difficult and often
fatal. The 5 or so crows are lead by a large hook billed individual,
we assume is an adult male, which we refer to as Bad Bill. Bad Bill
is an experienced, very successful swift killer. Even if a swift is
not taken, the exit is stopped and the little bug eaters are trapped
inside their roost. This hide and seek can last into the afternoon.

Crow fanciers may see this as natural selection at its finest.
Audubon sees it as unnatural selection that needs an intervention. If
we could send in a team of Navy Seals to take out Bad Bill we would
have given the order last September.

You may notice what appears to be coils of barbed wire covering the
top of the north lip. Its actually a stainless steel 5 inch slinky
courtesy of BIRD BARRIER. The theory is that when the swifts come out
the slinky will do no harm, but the crows will avoid it. So won't the
crows just attack from an unslinked side? Probably, lets see what
happens.

Its nearly 7:00 and the little birds are active, but mostly in the
lower half.

The excitement builds at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/vauxcam/video_chimney.html

Larry Schwitters
Issaquah