June | 2018 | ABC Birding

6-28-18 – ABC joined forces with Tahoma Audubon for a report on the Vaux’s Swifts at JBLM. Diane Yorgason-Quinn, coordinator for volunteer swift counters, presented, along with help from Burney Huff, who started the count; Heather Voboril, who has liaised with JBLM brass to do chimney fixes, etc.; and Faye McAdams Hands, who accompanied Diane to Israel to present Larry Schwitter’s paper on Vaux Swifts to the 5th World Swift Conference in March.

Vaux’s Happening logo and World Swift Conference logo, showing Vaux vs Common Swift

The importance of these chimneys at JBLM was stressed, in a world where chimneys are being torn down or capped at a rapid rate. Larry Schwitters was able to gain IBA (International Important Bird Area) status for 4 chimneys in Washington including stack 2068 at JBLM. Since then the base has put signs up on known chimney buildings to not tear them down. Heather gave some history of that chimney. The other 3 chimneys we watch were shown, as well.

Diane Y-Q shows the big swift stack at JBLM against a backdrop of Mt. Rainier (Photo/Lalenia Maria)

Special thanks was extended to Chuck Bergman, longtime member of Tahoma Audubon and former Towhee editor, who wrote a major article on JBLM Swifts and Vaux’s Swifts in the October issue of the national magazine, BirdWatching, which was available to browse through. And of course thanks to Larry Schwitters, a hero for swifts, who has now been coordinating counts and other data at all known Vaux’s Swift chimneys, amassing data that no one could even guess at in the past, which should help save the diminishing population.

All Swift counters in attendance were asked to stand, and since so many of you are counters, it was half the people there! Hurray! Several had comments about it. And we’re still recruiting! There are a lot of chimneys out there to count, not to mention the ones we haven’t found yet.

Vaux’s Swifts enter JBLM chimney 2068 at dusk

The evening ended with a short recap of the trip to Israel, how our swifts are so different than old-world swifts, and going birding in Israel as told by Faye.

6-28-18 – The map of major stacks clearly outlines swift migration routes (Photo/Lalenia Maria)

MORE INFO: VauxHappening.org

Diane Yorgason-Quinn at Avosetta@hotmail.com

AUG 25, 2018 — SELLECK SWIFT FIELD TRIP 5:45 PM to 9:30 PM

Watch these crazy little birds go to bed around sunset inside the chimney at the old schoolhouse in Selleck (now a private home where we have permission). Meet at 5:45 PM at the Auburn Supermall (AKA The Outlet Collection) theater parking lot, south side near Panda Express. We’ll carpool from there. Please RSVP here AND sign up with Diane Yorgason-Quinn, Avosetta@hotmail.com. No children. No limit. No exertion, good for people with can’t walk far. No bathrooms (go to the supermall early to find one). Bring lawn chair or blanket.

SEPT 8, 2018 — SWIFT NIGHT OUT at Monroe, Wagner School on Main Street. A true festival with food, vendors, fun stuff, docents, AND SWIFTS! Just show up anytime after 4 PM. No need to sign up.

SEPT 16, 2018 — JBLM SWIFT NIGHT. Find a friend with base privileges to bring you. 6 PM until the swifts are all in. Meet at Building 2068. Contact Diane for directions at Avosetta@hotmail.com.

SWIFT COUNTER TRAINING: Any Sunday night at JBLM starting Aug 26. Contact Diane Y-Q at Avosetta@hotmail.com.

Faye McAdams Hands and Diane Y-Q in the swift finery they wore to the International Swift Conference in Israel (Photo/Adam Trent)

PEREGRINES NESTING AGAIN IN DOWNTOWN TACOMA!

UPDATE, June 25, 2018, from Fergus Hyke:

6/11 Monday, Rescued Pacific from Pacific Avenue. Looked ok. Taken and released to the roof. (Sorry for the cut-off picture, I needed to know which one this was and focused on the band.

Pacific ID’d by band after rescue

6/13 – Rescued Blue from the middle of the street. Was first spotted on a ledge 2 stories up from the front entrance to my building. After about 2 hours, it tried to fly and ended up landing in the street. I gave chase and eventually got a towel over it. Again, looked ok to me, and was pretty feisty. Placed in rescue box and after about 15 minutes to calm down, released to the roof.

Blue after her big adventure

Blue after rescue

What made me smile after this rescue, when I released to the roof, five minutes later it hopped onto the roof ledge, and flew along the roofline stopping at a few spots before disappearing around the building.

Blue: “I can fly!”

6/13 7:30, I get a call from WF Security. Says a pair of crows were “ca-cawing” and chasing a falcon on the plaza. By the time I got there with my kids (and ice cream in the trunk) it had managed to get itself trapped in a garbage can (that’s a first). I did a quick evaluation and it looked ok. This one ended up being Starbuck. So I removed her and released to the roof.

Starbuck in garbage can

Starbuck after release from garbage can

(The following is from June 15^th)

I did some observing at lunchtime, and it was nice seeing all three up on the ledge during that time. After about an hour, I was able to identify each, including a stop-by by Harriett. Pacific seems to be hanging out by himself lately, while his sisters have been together more so than not.

Sisters Starbuck and Blue

Blue stretches her wings

Pacific visits his nest box

Pacific in box with mother Harriett checking on him.

Since the above observations, I have sporadically seen one or two of them around the building, and as of yesterday I have not seen much of them at all. Other than the one week of the three rescues, with no injuries requiring rehabilitation, it so far looks to be a successful 2018 Banding and Fledging.

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PREVIOUS POST from MAY:

Fergus Hyke again has been following Peregrines nesting on his building in downtown Tacoma, the same site they’ve used for a decade now. Jerry Broadus reports that the birds are “as noisy as ever and have 3 eyasses. Ed Deal and Martin Muller banded them already with Clarice helping to hold their little talons. Actually, the couple (Harriet and Murray) have been hunting around downtown for quite a while this spring, and I have taken some students to see them. Roger Orness has been taking notes on them and at least one other pair.” There was apparently also a reporter from Grit City Magazine present at the banding.

Here’s Fergus’ illustrated history of the chicks (all photos by Fergus Hyke, click to enlarge):

It has been another busy season for our falcons. Murray and Harriett had four eggs, and three were viable, one was unfertilized. Jerry and Clarice took it to the Slater Museum for research and future educational purposes.

First hatching occurred around May 3^rd. First verification of three chicks was May 4^th.