[birding] Question

[Barbara Combs]

Another time to look for Black Swift in the valley is when there is a huge
hatch of flying ants.  You will know when this happens because they will be
smashing into your car windows when you are driving, or even crash landing
on your car where it is parked.  This is a time, usually in July, when Black
Swifts will follow the hatch and chow down locally.   Look in the sky for
Black Swifts when flying ants are plentiful.

On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 1:02 AM, David Irons <llsdirons at msn.com> wrote:

> Tristen et al.,
>
> While Black Swifts occasionally appear during spring migration in the
> Willamette Valley, they are by no means to be expected. In general, Black
> Swifts are fairly late migrants, rarely appearing anywhere in Oregon before
> mid-May.
>
> If you hope to see a Black Swift in the valley, I would go out in search
> for them on cool days when there is a very dense low cloud ceiling. The best
> places to find them in such conditions would be flying around over larger
> bodies of water or sewage ponds (think of places that you see lots of
> feeding swallows during migration). In the Corvallis area, your best bets
> would probably be Cabell Marsh, McFadden Marsh, the Philomath Sewage Ponds,
> and along the Willamette River.
>
> On days with clear skies, Black Swifts are likely to be flying extremely
> high or following ridgelines (i.e. the Coast Range). Under those conditions,
> being up at the summit of Marys Peak might be a good bet. However, on cool
> days with dense overcast, they drop down to lower elevations often mixing
> with swallows as they feed low over water.
>
> Though migrant Black Swifts are scarce in Oregon, there seems to be a
> fairly predictable late spring/early summer passage along the outer coast.
> In recent years, Tim Rodenkirk has recorded more than 100 in a morning in
> Coos Co. and Phil Pickering has had some pretty nice counts (dozens) from
> Cascade Head in s. Tillamook Co. The peak counts have generally come during
> the last few days of May and the first few days of June. Seasonal summaries
> (Spring and Summer) in North American Birds and Oregon Birds will include
> exact dates and numbers. This should provide you with a better idea for
> exactly when you want to be looking.
>
> Dave Irons
> Regional Editor North American Birds (Oregon and Washington Region)
>
> > From: tmanindahouse at gmail.com
> > To: birding at midvalleybirding.org
> > Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:50:33 -0700
> > Subject: [birding] Question
>
> >
> > Around what time does the corvallis area get black swifts ??
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Tristen Gholson
> > 541-971-9315
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>
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-- 
Barbara Combs   obie '70
Lane County, OR
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