Thank you Sandy and the others who responded to this. Audubon Vaux's
Happening is trying to determine when we should start staking out the
swifts communal roost sites. In the last four years the first
arrivals at the Monroe Wagner roost site have been 4/15, 4/16, 4/17,
4/18. The Vaux's are believed to actively hunt while migrating and
I'm assuming that the swallows are up to the same thing.

Looking just at your V-G first arrival dates for the past six years,
the average is 3/14, and the previous latest was 3/23. If this is all
we had to got on we would conclude that that swifts will be late this
year. Sightings in California have been few and far between and Carl
at our early warning roost site in San Diego reports that his flock of
50 overwintering swifts is down to 21.

Larry

Larry Schwitters Issaquah
Project Coordination
Audubon Vaux's Happening

vauxshappening.org

On Apr 15, 2012, at 10:10 AM, Aquila Chrysaetos wrote:

> Larry and Tweeters,
> A Violet-green Swallow showed up March 25 this year in my yard, with
> a high of eight so far. Their numbers have been declining in the
> past few years (despite my many nestboxes) in my yard and in my
> rural neighborhood. One factor may be the bad weather the last
> three years that allows only one brood instead of two.
> V-G Swallow yard arrival dates : 2006 - 3/23, 2007 - 3/6, 2008 -
> 3/5, 2009 - 3/20, 2010 - 3/17, 2011 - 3/15, 2012 - 3/25.
> One Barn Swallow arrived on April 9, but I haven't seen any since.
> Their numbers are also declining.
> Barn Swallow yard arrival dates: 2006 - 4/17, 2007 - 4/10, 2008 -
> 4/16, 2009 - 4/11, 2010 - 4/18, 2011 - 4/17, 2012 - 4/9.
> My Tree Swallow dates are not very accurate as I have a hard time
> picking them out in flight unless the sun is shining. As far as i
> know they have raised only one brood in the last five years as the
> Violet-greens drive them from every nest box that they try to claim.
> Tree Swallow yard arrival dates: 2007 - 4/19, 2008 - 3/31, 2009 -
> 3/26, 2010 - 3/7, 2011 - 3/19, 2012 - none.
> Sandy Daniels, Enumclaw Plateau
> Ladyhawk707 AT msn DOT com
>
>
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