Along with Diane, Steve, Stella, and Riley, we went and saw the swifts tonight. I'm not talking about my friend Shawn & her husband Jeff (whose last name is Swift)...I'm referring to the yearly migration of thousands of tiny birds called swifts that visit Portland each September. On their migration to Mexico, the swifts make a stop in Portland for 3 weeks, spending their days in Forest Park and their nights roosting in the chimney of Chapman Elementary School. It's an amazing sight...starting about 6:30 pm, the swifts begin filling the sky, swooping around the chimney. As the sun sets, the birds fly one by one into the chimney, and by sundown, the last of the swifts makes its way into their nighttime abode. It's hard to describe how incredible it is, but there are literally THOUSANDS of birds making their way into the chimney...oh, and there is a resident hawk that usually makes an appearance, snatching one of the little birds out of the sky for his dinner. Hundreds of Portlanders make their way to Chapman to see the swifts every fall. It's quite an event and has become a yearly ritual for the Kola family. If you live in Portland and you haven't gone to see the swifts, you absolutely must do so.
Swifts descending into Chapman school chimney
Mason & Stella
bundled up...it was chilly!
2 comments:
We did that last year, it is really so very cool. You guys look all cute and bundled up.
I would love to see that....I remember Jill telling me about it. Maybe next year we will join you.
Post a Comment