Monroe Swifts! http://monroeswifts.org Saving our swifts by saving their chimney at Frank Wagner... Thu, 10 May 2012 19:52:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 Dr Swift is workin’ on that live feed http://monroeswifts.org/2012/05/dr-swift-is-workin-on-that-live-feed/ http://monroeswifts.org/2012/05/dr-swift-is-workin-on-that-live-feed/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 19:52:02 +0000 admin http://monroeswifts.org/?p=921 Continue reading →]]> Dr Swift went up on the Wagner roof yesterday and drove down to Olympia to get our new inside chimney cam.    He goes up on the Wag roof again today and if we are really lucky we will be live streaming with Infrared (so we can see inside where it’s dark) before the week is over.

]]> http://monroeswifts.org/2012/05/dr-swift-is-workin-on-that-live-feed/feed/ 0 And now we’re rollin… http://monroeswifts.org/2012/05/and-now-were-rollin/ http://monroeswifts.org/2012/05/and-now-were-rollin/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 17:15:20 +0000 admin http://monroeswifts.org/?p=906 Volunteer counters Cline and Carr counted 2,870 Vauxys at Frank Wagner last night.  Here’s what they had to say in their observation report:

IT WAS EXCITING ONCE AGAIN

Thanks you guys for your help here!

]]> http://monroeswifts.org/2012/05/and-now-were-rollin/feed/ 0 They have arrived! http://monroeswifts.org/2012/04/they-have-arrived/ http://monroeswifts.org/2012/04/they-have-arrived/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:11:20 +0000 admin http://monroeswifts.org/?p=904 Great news!  Cindy Easterson welcomed 618 Vaux’s Swifts to our retrofitted, crow proofed, live streaming, five star accommodations at Frank Wagner.  Not that anyone for one moment was ever doubting their return, but it’s great to see them.

]]> http://monroeswifts.org/2012/04/they-have-arrived/feed/ 0 Swift migration has started http://monroeswifts.org/2012/04/swift-migration-has-started/ http://monroeswifts.org/2012/04/swift-migration-has-started/#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2012 05:31:00 +0000 admin http://monroeswifts.org/?p=874 Continue reading →]]> The Vaux’s Swifts are on the way!   We have had sightings in California already, and into Oregon…and the first swift was counted going into the chimney at Frank Wagner Elementary School in Monroe on Wednesday evening,  April 18! We hope this single swift has more company very soon.  Welcome back!

Calling all counters (and wannabe counters)!

The intrepid counters at Frank Wagner started their spring migration count on Sunday, April 15th.  If you can help out, please contact us at contact@MonroeSwifts.org.

]]> http://monroeswifts.org/2012/04/swift-migration-has-started/feed/ 0 Happy 2012! http://monroeswifts.org/2012/02/happy-new-year-2012/ http://monroeswifts.org/2012/02/happy-new-year-2012/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:18:55 +0000 admin http://monroeswifts.org/?p=862 Spring seems to be around the corner..  the temperatures are warming up here in Western Washington..  the Flickers are starting to drum..  and soon the Voxies will be back in town.  Stay tuned!

]]> http://monroeswifts.org/2012/02/happy-new-year-2012/feed/ 0 BTN – Of course we did http://monroeswifts.org/2011/10/btn-of-course-we-are/ http://monroeswifts.org/2011/10/btn-of-course-we-are/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:34:02 +0000 admin http://monroeswifts.org/?p=853 Hey, we’re a part of the Audubon family – so OF COURSE we were BirdingtheNet!

We even built some bird nests – but have taken them down now, as the game is over.   Hope you all had fun!

]]> http://monroeswifts.org/2011/10/btn-of-course-we-are/feed/ 0 Big Counts Elsewhere in WA http://monroeswifts.org/2011/10/big-counts-elsewhere-in-wa/ http://monroeswifts.org/2011/10/big-counts-elsewhere-in-wa/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:54:40 +0000 admin http://monroeswifts.org/?p=838 We’ve been seeing some big numbers of swifts at some other sites here in WA – namely Old Northern State Hospital and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  Check out those counts here.

]]> http://monroeswifts.org/2011/10/big-counts-elsewhere-in-wa/feed/ 0 Life of a Swift Counter… http://monroeswifts.org/2011/09/life-of-a-swift-counter/ http://monroeswifts.org/2011/09/life-of-a-swift-counter/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:20:04 +0000 admin http://monroeswifts.org/?p=820 Continue reading →]]> See below for an account of counting the swifts at the defunct chimney stack at the Old Northern State Hospital grounds in Sedro-Woolley.  Gives you a sense of how dramatic the swift roosting experience can be…

  • Tonight (9/27) was both one of the most boring, and, the most exciting at the stack.  I started at 5:05 pm.  Fewer than 20 swifts entered the stack by 6:55 pm (i.e., almost 2 hours later!), although many were swirling around and making false passes at the stack the whole time.  Then in the next 8 minutes at least 6,150 went in.  They were going too fast to count very well.  No hesitation, no breaks, just a solid “tube” of birds.  Then a Merlin kept the remaining group high for three minutes, and grabbed a swift at 7:06.  It took the swifts three minutes after that to come back down to the stack, and they wasted NO time getting in.  They mostly went in in rapid “clumps” of 1-200, until the last 3,200 went in in less than 4 minutes!
]]> http://monroeswifts.org/2011/09/life-of-a-swift-counter/feed/ 0 Birds over Broadway – in CALIF that is! http://monroeswifts.org/2011/09/birds-over-broadway-la-that-is/ http://monroeswifts.org/2011/09/birds-over-broadway-la-that-is/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:35:52 +0000 admin http://monroeswifts.org/?p=807 Continue reading →]]> Monroe Swift Night Out may have passed, but there are still swift parties happening down the flyway, and in fact this Friday, Sept 23rd is “Birds over Broadway” – the celebration of the swift roost in Downtown Los Angeles, sponsored by our sister groups, LA Audubon and Audubon at Debs Park.   We wish them fun tomorrow!

]]> http://monroeswifts.org/2011/09/birds-over-broadway-la-that-is/feed/ 0 Great Story in the Everett Herald http://monroeswifts.org/2011/09/great-story-in-the-everett-herald/ http://monroeswifts.org/2011/09/great-story-in-the-everett-herald/#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:44:30 +0000 admin http://monroeswifts.org/?p=795 Check out this great story in the Everett Herald about our chimney and  Monroe Swift Night Out.

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