The average exit time for the Wagner Swifts has been two hours after sunrise and we've got a lot of data on that. Very few times have they left before the sun is up and I figure then they are leaving early on a migration leg.
Insects need to have a certain body temperature before they're able to fly and the earth needs to heat up for the air to rise. Thats not to say there are no insects flying at night.

Larry Schwitters
Issaquah

On Jun 9, 2014, at 11:25 AM, FLECKENSTEIN, JOHN (DNR) wrote:

> Friends,
> I've only heard swallows a few times at that hour - even though I've got them in a nest box attached to the house. Could be hearing loss. But I've wondered if it was a territorial display. When I've heard them, they've been very vocal, much more so than during usual feeding activity. And they've been flying in a relatively small area.
>
> John Fleckenstein
> Olympia
>
> Message: 11
> Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2014 08:39:14 -0700
> From: Jeff Gibson <gibsondesign at msn.com>
> Subject: [Tweeters] Swallow Eyes
> To: tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Message-ID: <BLU178-W35207858B00F57C58C1277C92E0 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> While married to a night owl, I tend to be a morning person. Sometimes occupations (like being a bar owner) have interfered with that at times, but these days in Port Townsend, I've been getting up early, and also sleeping with the window open.
> Way back when, I used to do things like get up before dawn and note the order in which the birds started singing in the morning. I haven't done much of that in the past few years, but did remember noting in my journal, on a number of occasions, that the first bird call of the day was often the Violet-green Swallow. They are still at it, I'm happy to say - starting about 3:30 am right now here in Port Townsend, just before the Robins get started.
> Oh I can hear them alright, circling above, but it's too dark to see 'em - the stars are still out ("who let the stars out!").
> And that got me wondering about what the heck they are doing out there flying in the dark. Stargazing? Social time? Having sex? I don't know, but I imagine they are after bugs already, but if so, how can they see them? I'm amazed at swallows and swifts nabbing tiny tiny bugs, at speed, even in the daytime. That takes some sharp eyes, not to mention reflexes. Incredible really.
> And then there's those diving eyes of grebes and ducks etc. How, on a winter day under a 20,000 ft blanket of clouds, and diving into estuary murk, can a cormorant see a fish down there? I don't know, but they catch 'em somehow. I've seen the evidence. Jeff Gibsonjust kind of wondering, inPort Townsend Wa
>
>
>
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