[obol] 70 - 100,000 Barn Swallows on Grand Island
- From: "Paul T. Sullivan" <paultsullivan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "obol" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Yamhill Birders" <YamhillBirders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "MidValley birding" <birding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 21:42:37 -0700
Folks,
This evening we went out to Grand Island in SE Yamhill County, OR, to check
for roosting BARN SWALLOWS. We checked the location where the birds were
roosting in the fall of 2012 and found an estimated 70 to 100,000 birds
going down into a cornfield. We watched from sunset at 7:55 until 8:20 when
the last of the birds went down. The location is on the north side of Grand
Island Loop Rd. across from the white barn and parking area of the Pablo
Munoz farms. You can view from the roadside looking down a farm field lane
into the bottomland.
The legions of birds gather and swirl overhead in a loop about a 1 mile
wide. They tower high into the sky and concentrate as the sun sets. Then
they begin to descend to the lever of the tops of the corn. There they
swirl in a tighter circle before finally settling in. Meanwhile, more are
coming behind them. It is a spectacle.
On Google Maps plug in the location 45.132,-123.0199 or "21425 SE Grand
Island Loop Rd., Dayton, OR" and it will take you to the spot.
Good birding, everyone,
Paul Sullivan & Carol Karlen
McMinnville
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul T. Sullivan" <paultsullivan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "obol" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Yamhill Birders"
<YamhillBirders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "MidValley birding"
<birding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "Carol Karlen" <carolk@xxxxxxxxxxx>; "Bruce Cousens"
<pmartins@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 7:03 AM
Subject: Update: the fall roost of Barn Swallow on Grand Island
Folks,
This morning we can see the radar signature of the BARN SWALLOWS flying
out from their roost on Grand Island in Yamhill County, OR.
If you go to
http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?zoommode=pan&prevzoom=zoom&num=0&frame=0&delay=15&scale=1.000&noclutter=0&ID=RTX&type=N0R&showstorms=0&lat=45.20659256&lon=-123.21671295&label=McMinnville,OR&map.x=400&map.y=240&scale=1.000¢erx=400¢ery=240&showlabels=1&rainsnow=0&lightning=0&lerror=20&num_stns_min=2&num_stns_max=9999&avg_off=9999&smooth=0
and look at the images from 6:11 to 6:20 to 6:30 AM today, you will see a
burst of green originating in the SE corner of Yamhill County, moving ENE
into Marion County, and dispersing.
If you get to the map and find the current time image, do this.
1. Click on the "animate map" button in the upper left hand corner, then
2. Click on the "stop map" button in the upper left hand corner. This
will bring up "previous" and "next" buttons at the bottom of the map.
3. Use the "previous" button to navigate back to 6:11 AM
We hope to get out to Grand Island this evening, weather permitting, to
pinpoint which cornfield the birds are using.
Paul Sullivan & Carol Karlen
McMinnville
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul T. Sullivan" <paultsullivan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "obol" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Yamhill Birders"
<YamhillBirders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Bruce Cousens" <pmartins@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "Carol Bishop" <carol@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 9:30 PM
Subject: the fall roost of Barn Swallow on Grand Island
Folks,
Following up on a tip from Bruce Cousens, British Columbia Purple Martin
Stewardship & Recovery Program Coordinator, we have begun checking the
Portland weather radar for evidence of the big fall BARN SWALLOW roost in
cornfields on Grand Island. The rainy weather has made it hard to tell
if there is any swallow signature on the radar. We'll keep watching
Good birding, everyone,
Paul Sullivan & Carol Karlen
McMinnville
Paul T. Sullivan
(503) 472-5306 home
(971) 237-4864 cell
paultsullivan@xxxxxxxxxxxx
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