[Umpqua Birds] Re: Vaux's Swifts
- From: Mark Hamm <mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "umpquabirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <umpquabirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 12:06:18 -0400
Sounds pretty reasonable, would be interesting to look at previous spring
counts and temps.
________________________________________
From: umpquabirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [umpquabirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Diana Wales [dianawales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2013 12:21 AM
To: umpquabirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Umpqua Birds] Vaux's Swifts
A theory has been offered that the relatively low counts at all the chimneys
up and down the Pacific flyway this spring have been the result of the warm
weather, rather than a feared catastrophic die-off event. The theory is
that the birds may opt to simply hang on the bark of convenient trees when
the weather is balmy, rather that utilize the chimney. This evening's
observation might support that theory. Tonight was roughly 8-10 degrees
cooler at sunset (8:30) than has generally been the case throughout May.
Counts at the chimney have, with a couple of exceptions, been around 100.
Tonight, roughly 390 birds are roosting in the Clay Place chimney. Roughly
10 birds dropped into the chimney in the half hour before sunset - perhaps
more as a couple dropped in as I drove up, so others might have done so
earlier. But a large number were in the sky. They eventually did some
lovely formation flying in a vortex and the bulk of the birds (350+) dropped
into the chimney between 8:43 and 8:47. A few individuals and small groups
dropped in over the following 5 minutes.
Diana Wales
Roseburg, Oregon
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