[SBB] Vaux's swifts migrating over Sierra Rd.

["Roy Churchwell" <[[email protected]]>]

Hello Everyone,

Hello Birders,

I was up at Sierra Rd. (East San Jose) this morning (9/27/07) doing my bird 
surveys when I noticed flocks of swifts flying over.  When I saw them I was 
about 100 meters east of the cattle chutes and it was around 8:45 AM.  The 
swifts were coming in groups of about 8 to 12, but the groups were coming in 
a steady stream.  They were flying in a very determined straight line to the 
south, very unswift like behavior.  None of the birds were feeding they were 
all just flying south.  I watched them for about 5 minutes and counted over 
200 birds going by.  I was sad that I had to continue my survey and leave 
the swifts, but that is the difference between birding for work and birding 
for fun.  I did see the flocks once more as they were heading out over the 
canyon.  Once the swifts got over the canyon they locked their wings and 
glided over the canyon.

The swifts seemed to be migrating along the ridgeline, and I wondered if the 
warm thermals helped them like they do raptors.  I haven't read anything 
about this, but I haven't looked specifically for this information yet. 
Anyway, I just wanted to share the interesting behavior I observed.

Roy Churchwell
Landbird Program Director
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
524 Valley Way
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 946-6548 ext. 11
[[email protected]]

NOTICE NEW ADDRESS
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "rcolwell" <[[email protected]]>
To: "South Bay Birders" <[[email protected]]>
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 10:38 AM
Subject: [SBB] GTTO 9/27


> The Green-tailed Towhee showed up this morning at 6:45 for its fourth
> day.  We were treated to it bathing in the pond at about 9:10 afterwards
> it flew to a branch, shook itself; then flew to the Cleveland Sage.  It
> proceeded to wriggle itself into a depression in the ground under the
> bush where it flattened itself out so that we could only see it's head
> sticking up.  It was alert, looking around, and stayed in that position
> for 5-10 minutes before it emerged and flew off.
> Rita
>
>
>
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