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The Backyard & Beyond - November 2002
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In September we made 2 trips to Chapman School in NW Portland to see the Vaux's Swifts return to their nightly fall roost chimney. The first night we witnessed a Merlin fly in & pick off a swift for dinner in nothing flat.
On the internet birders had been reporting a Merlin and also a Cooper's Hawk at the roost area. The next trip over produced a Cooper's Hawk sitting on the top of the chimney "waiting patiently". He sat there for 20 minutes until the time drew closer for the swifts to roost.
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Cooper's Hawk waiting for
Vaux's Swifts to roost.
There is one coming in the upper right corner.
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The swifts began flying closer to the chimney and at just the right moment "for the hawk at least", the Cooper's flipped up a couple feet and grabbed his meal. He sat on the chimney for a few minutes and then flew off to eat. The crowd of hundreds of people cheered. I thought it a bit stranger but I guess they appreciated nature in all it's aspects.
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Pretty soon a Merlin flew in and began circling with the swifts as they performed their nightly routine in a spiral above the chimney. He tried to catch one but they all, including the Merlin, just kept flying together.
He took off and a Peregrine Falcon flew in but strangely where the swifts seemed to tolerate the other two predators, they did not accept the peregrine and they all began chasing the Peregrine off. He returned later but flew higher in the sky this time. When the Merlin came in to try again, the peregrine made a stoop after him.
The Peregrine missed the Merlin and they both missed a meal but in the meantime, the Cooper's Hawk returned to the chimney and sat briefly on the inner edge, reached down, grabbed a swift and flew off with his 2nd course for the evening. Again the cheers went up from the crowd.
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Merlin trying to
catch a Vaux's Swift
At Chapman School
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Vaux's Swifts
At Chapman School
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The internet reports continued of the hawks escapades but then all of a sudden the swifts were gone. Question is. Was it time to move south, or did they move to another chimney for survival, tired of getting picked off each night?
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Back at home, we use a Squirrel-Proof feeder for chipped sunflower seeds. The squirrels have chewed off all the rubber coating on the wires but the food has been safe … until now.
We have a squirrel who figured out not only how to get onto the feeder despite the anti-squirrel baffle but how to slide up the metal cover over the seed tube then lift up the plastic cover and crawl inside to eat away!!! I moved the baffle down closer and it seems to have stopped him from getting inside… for now.
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