I should have added that the Violet Green swallow boxes (count 50 or more)
that were there in 2014 have all been removed.
Jack Williamson
West Linn, Oregon
On Fri, May 29, 2020 at 10:04 AM Robert O'Brien <baro@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Well, what I've heard, unsubstantiated to me directly, is that Metro
removed most of the Bank Swallow colony in a project of restoration of the
river channel several years back. This would account for the differing
river channel over what Jack has observed previously, as well as the
diminished swallow colony. Does anyone else know about the details?
Bob OBrien Carver OR
On Fri, May 29, 2020 at 9:43 AM Jack Williamson <
jack.williamson.jr@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Recent online discussions about swallows got me thinking I should go back
and check on a colony of Bank Swallows that I was introduced to in 2014 by
Bill Evans. Bill conducted point-counts for Metro along the Clackamas
River for many years before his untimely death in 2018. He urged me to
learn to bird by ear and used the Willow Flycatcher as a natural first
example of how easy it can be to locate and identify birds by ear. He was
fun to bird with, and I miss his light-hearted companionship.
The good news is the colony persists at River Island Natural Area, and
there are still many opportunities for up-close views of the birds in
flight. The bad news is tunnels are now hard to view from land due to
changes in the river channel, and the colony appears to be about a third of
the size it was in 2014. I estimated 60 individuals were present during
this visit.
Another notable difference between the two observations was that on 5
June 2014, feeding of chicks seemed to be the predominant activity observed
while nest-building and pairing actions were all that was happening on 28
May 2020.
https://www.jack-n-jill.net/blog/2020/5/river-island-natural-area-bank-swallow-colony---take-2
Jack Williamson
West Linn, Oregon
