The swifts at Chapman School
by Chris on Sep.11, 2009, under Main Page
Swiftwatch 2009
Every year in September thousands upon thousands of Vaux swifts descend on Portland to feast on insects by day and roost in the chimney at Chapman School by night. They have earned a lot of popularity among the citizenry and support from the local Audubon Society and many local businesses who financed a new furnace system to ensure the swifts continued safety in their chosen roost.
Mom and I had heard about them for a long time, but we hadn’t ever gone to see the birds until this week. It was a great experience and one I would highly recommend to everyone. The birds typically hang around until around mid October, and the weatherman is saying that we will have several perfect evenings to pull up a blanket and enjoy this uniquely Portland event.
To see all the pictures we took, you can click on the image or check out Think Tank Gallery.
For more information about the swifts and their temporary home, you can check out these links: http://www.hollywoodpet.com/swifts.htm and http://www.audubonportland.org/local-birding/swiftwatch
