Late this afternoon I spent some time on Cantrell Road by the red gate on the
south side of the road just west of the new wetland area.
As I watched the swallows foraging low over the field, a somewhat larger black
bird flew in from the west and joined them for a few rounds before continuing
to fly east. It had long narrow wings and flew with slower wingbeats than the
those of the Vaux's Swifts I saw on Saturday. I briefly entertained the idea
that this could be a black Merlin, but the wings were just too long and narrow
and the swallows did not scatter, but allowed it to forage with them. The
swallows know who's friend or foe.
I looked up at the sky and the lowest clouds were moving in from the west, so
this bird may have been migrating up the coast and moved inland with the
airflow.
Barbara Combs
Lane County, OregonPOST: Send your post to obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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