September 25, 2009
Swifts Picnic
Wednesday night, the first full day of Fall was THE perfect time to go and see the migrating Swifts as they flew into the chimney at Chapman School.
We packed up a delicious easy picnic dinner and took our blanket and went to the school in Northwest Portland. There were probably about 1,000 people there. It was a community picnic with blankets spread out everywhere and visitors talking and enjoying their friends and food.
The children were sliding down the very steep hill on cardboard pieces, laughing and interacting with each other in a loving careful way. Young Daddies were helping their little ones slide down the hill and have a good time with the other kids. Other timid or tiny ones just stood at the top of the hill and watched the action, learning how to do the cardboard sliding when they grew bigger!
We arrived early so we could enjoy visiting and dinner well before the swifts arrived to go to sleep in the chimney. About 7:00 pm the birds started arriving and kept flying around the area. One of the more dramatic events always is when “the predators” show up. It was closer to 7:15 when the hawks showed up and provided the crowd with thrilling moments as they flew into the flying flock finding their dinner! The crowd reacts as one person as oohs and ahs escape everyone lips at the same moment as we watch the un-choreographed show. Then all of a sudden the aerial acrobatics cease and the swifts make a last circle around the area and then they just DROP INTO the chimney as they fly over it. It is spectacular to watch and some in the audience even applaud the performance!
Soon it is 7:30, the sun has just set, the last of the birds have gone into their sleeping place and several of us turn our eyes toward the North West sky; you see, on Wednesday night, the International Space Station did a double flyover. The first one was at 7:35 pm and lasted 4 minutes. It only takes a few people to start looking and pointing and soon everyone else is looking skyward too. Another skyward event for the crowd to enjoy ! It was so totally cool.
It is the special moments in our lives that we remember.
This evening was one of those memorable moments for me.
All in all, it was a perfect Portland event on a perfect Portland evening.
http://www.audubonportland.org/local-birding/swiftwatch/swift-watch
