[obol] Black Swifts, Larch Mt. (Mult)

[Jfitchen at aol.com]

Hello Obol,
 
This afternoon at about 2:00 p.m. I saw two BLACK SWIFTS at point-blank range 
as they circled around Sherrard Point at the top of Larch Mountain.  The 
birds were clearly larger than Vaux's Swifts and flew with more powerful, less 
hurried wingbeats, often gliding.  The wings were long and pointed, relatively 
broad-based, bowed posteriorly.  The tail was proportionally long and broad, 
intermittently fanned; I did not perceive a notch.  The birds were all dark in 
silhouette, but in bright sunlight (especially when they were below me) had some 
brownish overtones, more like the illustration in the National Geographic 
field guide than in Sibley.  I'm grateful to Dave Irons who recently shared with 
me his wisdom on Black Swift identification and prepared me for today's chance 
encounter.  And yes, Dave, the image you said to burn into my mind was 
circling around in front of me today.
 
Also at the summit, a pair of TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES, a booming SOOTY GROUSE, 
and singing HERMIT WARBLERS.  I did not see or hear either Rock Wren or Canyon 
Wren, but I want to thank Andy Frank, without whose recent hearing of Canyon 
Wren songs, I wouldn't have been up there.
 
Cheers,
 
John Fitchen
Portland  



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