[birding] Black Swifts

[rich armstrong]

1. with joel's note below, and figuring we would not have much chance going 
to e e wilson, nanete & i headed for the river. we stood along the wilamette 
for a little over an hour and watch swifts and swallows almost continuously.
2. we saw 4 BLACK SWIFTS and probably 2-3 more that were too far away to be 
sure
3. we did not really count others so these numbers are just guesses
4. vaux swift - 300
5. violet-green swallow - 500
6. barn swallow - 200
7. cliff swallow - 2
8. also there were 200+ cedar waxwings bug catching.
9. if you want to try we suggest you just find a place along the river and 
see if you get lucky.
Rich Armstrong
541-753-1978
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joel Geier" <joel.geier at peak.org>
To: "MidValley Birds" <list at midvalleybirding.org>; "Oregon Birders OnLine" 
<obol at oregonbirdwatch.org>
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 12:04 PM
Subject: [birding] Local RBA: Black Swifts headed for Corvallis


> Hi folks,
>
> I was painting some fence posts just now (12:00 noon) and saw a mixed
> flock of swallows and swifts over Tampico Ridge. At least three of them
> are BLACK SWIFTS. One went out over E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area air space
> briefly. Wil came out to look and we saw three of them together with
> their distinctive wingbeats and fanning tails, back over the ridge.
>
> The whole bunch are working their way south so might be looked for over
> Vineyard Mountain on the north edge of Corvallis, in a half hour to an
> hour ... or less if they decide to hightail! Great viewing conditions
> with the cloud cover.
>
> Thanks to George Neavoll in Portland for alerting us all to the
> possibility that Black Swifts are coming through the Willamette Valley.
>
> Now back to painting one last post so it can dry before it rains.
>
> Happy sky-gazing,
> Joel
>
> --
> Joel Geier
> Camp Adair area north of Corvallis
>
>
>
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