Thousands of swallow-like birds, or swifts, circumvent the Agate Hall chimney each spring and autumn in a swirling column of black climbing hundreds of feet in the air.
The avian circle is a sophisticated holding pattern that occurs as the birds enter the chimney’s confines to roost. The gathering has gained national recognition in birding circles as a premiere venue for viewing the Vaux’s Swift as it begins or nears the end of its migration south. Peterson’s Field Guide to Western Birds refers to the swift as “a cigar with wings.”
Dan Gleason, who works in a University teaching lab, said as many as 15,000 to 20,000 swifts revolve around the
chimney every fall. The spring showing is less dramatic, but still draws several thousand birds. Gleason has written several editions of a text describing bird behavior and anatomy, “Birds! From the Inside Out,” with his wife, Barbara. He said depending on the weather, the swifts could arrive in early May.
“It’s a spectacular showing,” Gleason said of the swifts. “They are fast flyers and circle high overhead as they drop in.”
The display of aerial acrobatics caps the return of many early spring migrants to northern climbs, Gleason said. He recommended students grab a pair of binoculars and a field guide to search the sky, brush and trees in the next few weeks as more Tree Swallows, Violet-Green Swallows and Rufous Hummingbirds return to Eugene. The Evening Grosbeak also will return in mid to late April.
“I’m fascinated by them,” Gleason said of the birds. “There’s a lot to like. Their behavior, variety, color — their behavior is always interesting.”
Joe Russin, a biology instructor at Lane Community College who also has watched the swifts gather at dusk around the Agate Hall chimney, has prepared a list of 28 species of birds that have or will soon return to the forest surrounding LCC. Russin teaches biology courses focusing on the winged and beaked creatures each spring.
“Students can admire their beauty and all the different varieties there are,” Russin said. “I think most people lump birds into one group, the LGBs (Little Green Birds). But if they look closer and look at their behavior, they’d be surprised.”
Many have said the best way to learn to identify different birds is to travel with a group of more seasoned watchers. The Lane County Audobon Society sponsors a walk and a meeting each month and welcomes birders of all skill levels, said Alice Dugan, who handles all calls for the local Audobon chapter from her South Eugene home.
Dugan said she keeps a log of all the birds she sees and those species reported to her by other birders. She said the Violet-Green Swallow, Tree Swallow and Rufous Hummingbird have returned earlier than usual this year. She said a Turkey Vulture, a nearly Eagle-sized bird with a red head and neck, has been spotted soaring in the area. The bird is recognizable by the way its wings look in flight — a shallow V-shape.
“I’ve twice gone out in the middle of the day” to search for early spring migrants and Turkey Vultures, Dugan said. “But no self-respecting birder goes out in the middle of the day.”
She said birds are most active in the mornings and evenings, and recommended a premiere spot to observe the migrants as they return.
“Skinner Butte is the one piece of land around here they rest on as they move through,” she said. “It’s very productive and enjoyable” for viewing.
E-mail reporter Eric Martin
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