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09/03/2008: "Join The Observers In Monroe"

Barbara Jensen of San Juan Islands Audubon has announced that this coming Saturday Pilchuck and Seattle Audubon will host the "Monroe Swift Night Out" at the Frank Wagner Elementary School in Monroe. Swifts are on the move heading south and they have a night roost at the schools chimney.

Last May 21,000 (the second largest congregation in North America) were counted as they entered the chimney. There should be several times more birds as the young migrate with their parents. There will be a lecture at 6:30 and people to answer your questions.

Each September thousands of migrating Vaux's (pronounced "voxes") Swifts roost in Monroe School District's Frank Wagner Elementary School chimney to rest while on their southern migration from northwestern Canada and Washington State to Central America and Venezuela



These 4-5" long birds are the smallest and most numerous of the swift species in Washington State. They spend much of their time in the air and forage, eat, drink, court, collect nesting materials and mate all in flight. Vaux's Swifts prefer to roost in hollow old trees but frequently use brick chimneys as a substitute

Prior to entering the chimney, the swifts often gather in great numbers and circle the chimney. As they begin to enter the chimney, they change from their head-first direction and go in tail first. They overlap one another in "shingle" fashion to conserve body heat. They often slow their metabolism to a near-dormant state to conserve energy while roosting

Lecture at 6:30 p.m. in the Frank Wagner Auditorium.

A desire to learn more about the Vaux's Swifts, to study their migration and behavior, and to preserve their habitat (in this case, the Frank Wagner Elementary School chimney) was the impetus for the creation of the Friends of the Vaux's Swifts

Your contribution to the Monroe Swift Watch campaign will help the Monroe School District and local Audubon Societies develop a cost effective plan to assure student safety and maintain a critical environmental resource for the future of the Vaux's Swifts. Checks can be made out to the Pilchuck Audubon Society (PAS

For further information contact
Pilchuck Audubon Society
at 425-252-0926