Due to lack of swifts entering the chimney this week, this event has been cancelled. If you are interested in viewing the swifts, please feel free to visit Hedrick Middle School in Medford a little before sunset. They have consistently been roosting the school’s chimney.
Focus: Birding & Swift roosting survey
Description: Come enjoy the birds and sunset on this exclusive after hours event at Eden Valley Orchards. Arrive at 5:30 sharp to purchase an optional glass of wine before EdenVale Winery closes for the night. Next we’ll walk the grounds to catch the late day bird activity. Or you can relax in a chair. Finally we’ll take a seat on the patio for the grand finale. Dr. Pepper Trail will present a short program about Vaux’s Swifts at 6:50pm. Expect to be awed by the swifts swirling overhead and challenged as we try to count how many enter the chimney of the historic Voorhies Mansion. Register early so you don’t miss this experience!
Limit: 40
Meeting Location: Eden Valley Orchards/EdenVale Winery
Difficulty: Easy, slow-paced walking on generally flat ground on orchard grounds.
Directions will be emailed upon registration. For more info or help with registration call 541.482.3069 or email info@landconserve.org.
Waiting List:
Folks on the waiting list often get invited to the hike, so please add your name if the hike is full.
Why count swifts?
The Vaux’s Swift (pronounced Vox’s) has been declining by about 2% each year and we aren’t sure why. We do know that their migratory roosting sites have been on the decline. The birds need either hollow old growth trees or old chimneys built before cement liners were added in the mid 40’s. A citizen science project called Vaux’s Happening has been developed to collect data on swift numbers and roosting sites. This is a dual purpose to help scientists understand better the decline and to raise public awareness of the importance of roosting sites. The side benefit is that these birds are an absolute delight to watch! For more information visit the project website (vauxhappening.org/) or contact Kristi Mergenthaler at coprolitemergie@yahoo.com.
Banner photo: Pepper Trail. Body photo: http://audubonportland.org/about/events/nn-sept2014/?searchterm=None.
