[obol] Re: obol Digest V2 #156
- From: Arlen Snyder <arlspider@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 14 May 2013 09:58:12 -0700
Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone
obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>obol Digest Tuesday, May 14 2013 Volume: 02 Issue: 156
>
>In This Issue:
> #1: From: Matthew G Hunter <matthewghunter@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [obol] Possible CHIMNEY SWIFT, Roseburg, Douglas County
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Msg: #1 in digest
>Date: Mon, 13 May 2013 22:18:54 -0700
>Subject: [obol] Possible CHIMNEY SWIFT, Roseburg, Douglas County
>From: Matthew G Hunter <matthewghunter@xxxxxxxxx>
>
>Hi Folks,
>I feel like I should apologize first because of the two-day delay, but ...
>let me just tell you my experience, and I would appreciate
>input/perspectives from anyone that is familiar with Chimney Swifts. I am
>not.
>
>I had volunteered to count the swifts coming into the Clay Place, behind
>the Umpqua Valley Arts Center, in Roseburg, on Harvard Blvd., Saturday
>evening, May 11. The swift-watcher people were doing an all west-coast
>count that evening. Anyway, I had my 3 kids there with me to help count and
>give them some experience in doing that.
>
>We got there at 2000 hrs. There were a few swifts around, and a small bunch
>of about 5 or 6 came in about 2015 hrs and seemed to consider going down in
>the chimney. At that moment--you know they sometimes slow down and flap
>over a greater range--I saw that one of the swifts was noticeably larger,
>and at the same time noticed that it had a missing feather or something on
>its right wing. My first thought (in a split second) was to consider Black
>Swift; after all, that is the "other" dark swift we have in Oregon. But,
>instantly checking it for that species resulted in a no, because it was
>just brown and wasn't that big (Black Swifts are really striking,
>especially that close; this would be about 100 ft away). And at that moment
>the small group broke off, did not go in the chimney, and kind of split up.
>I followed the bird, turned on my camera, and took a couple (of course)
>fuzzy shots (links below). I have no idea if these will be helpful in any
>way. They are basically silhouettes; you cannot judge how dark or light the
>bird is from these, but you can see the shape of the bird and the missing
>feather in the right wing. Anyway, while I was taking photos I heard a call
>three times that I had never heard before and very striking, coming from
>this bird. It was a really rapid trill/twitter, sustained longer than any
>twitters from Vaux's (no real clear notes like in Vaux's), not so
>squeeky/clear/whistley as the Vaux's Swift calls, and seemed lower pitched
>perhaps because of that. I recalled at the time that the call was a good
>way to detect and identify Chimney Swifts, but I did not know the call
>myself, ... and I was there to count swifts, ... and I was helping my kids
>to learn to count, and ... I was tired and ... nawww it couldn't be, and
>... aww nevermind, and... I need to figure out what I'm doing the next few
>days for work, and... (all the excuses I can come up with at the moment).
>
>So, just this evening, I looked at my Sibley's and listened to some calls
>online. And, Oh my gosh, ... I feel like I'm in trouble now. I strongly
>suspect the bird was a Chimney Swift. Like I said, I do not have personal
>experience with Chimney Swifts (so in other words, I could not recognize it
>instantly as something familiar, if you know what I mean). I did live in
>Virginia for a year, but that was 20 years ago, and that did not give me
>real lasting experience with that species. What I am very familiar with is
>Vaux's Swift. If I had only seen the bird, I could pass it off as possible
>me mis-judging the size. If I had only heard the call, I could pass it off
>as a who-knows-what (perhaps a hummingbird, or odd Vaux's or ???), but,
>both together gives strong evidence that it was something other than a
>Vaux's.
>
>My subject heading is "possible" Chimney Swift because, well, it is a big
>jump for me, not having had memorable experience with the species. That's
>why I'm interested to hear others' perspectives who do have experience with
>the species.
>
>I have no idea how many days, if any, the birds in this chimney stay before
>moving on. I didn't see the bird go in the chimney. But then again, as it
>got darker it was much more difficult to even see when any swifts were
>approaching and they would sometimes go in without much pre-warning.
>
>My fuzzy photos are at
>
>http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/8736538881/in/photostream/
>and
>http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/8737660020/in/photostream/
>
>eBird report of Vaux's Swift roost count, with map of location, is at
>http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14107808
>
>I'm interested to hear your thoughts, questions, etc. Thanks.
>
>Matt Hunter
>Melrose, OR
>
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>End of obol Digest V2 #156
>**************************
>
>
Other related posts:
