Joel and MD Ospreyites:

FYI. Europe is experiencing a major influx of Chimney Swifts this fall. I 
assume this has been driven by our recent hurricane and weather patterns. 
Some (but not all) of the recent European reports are listed below ... I 
believe one was just reported today in France and another in Spain. The 
Azores flock exceeds all previous records of the species to date in the WP 
(Western Palearctic).

.... and I'm sure everyone is checking them all to make sure none are 
Vaux's Swifts ... yikes! ... <grin>

Phil

At 20:08 31.10.2005, Dominic Mitchell wrote:
 >By way of summarising reports so far, the Chimney Swift (Chaetura
 >pelagica) has indeed continued to gather pace. Below are listed
 >recent WP reports (all obviously pending acceptance by national
 >records committees etc) gathered from various online sources (see
 >previous messages for credits):
 >
 >AZORES:
 >* Corvo: flock of 27 on 28 Oct, with at least 12 remaining next day
 >* Faial: flock of 12 on 29 Oct
 >* Flores: flock of 14 on 30 Oct
 >* Sao Miguel: 2 on 28 Oct
 >* Terceira: 3 together on 28 Oct plus 2 further individuals, then a
 >flock of 14 on 30 Oct
 >
 >CANARY ISLANDS:
 >Tenerife: 2 near Puerto de la Cruz on 29-30 Oct
 >
 >IRELAND:
 >Co Cork:
 >* Baltimore - two reported on 30 Oct
 >* Cape Clear Island - a probable on 29 Oct, then 1 on 30 Oct
 >* Clonakilty - 1 on 30 Oct
 >* Courtmacsherry/Braod Strand - 3 together on 31 Oct
 >* Sherkin Island - 3 on 29 October
 >
 >BRITAIN:
 >Scilly:
 >* Tresco - 1 on 30 Oct
 >* St Mary's - 1 on 30-31 Oct
 >
 >Rgds
 >
 >--
 >Dominic Mitchell
 >Publisher and Editor, Birdwatch


At 14:58 11/01/2005, Joel Martin wrote:
>Please forgive the obsession; I'll stop after this. Today at about 1:00, 
>one CHIMNEY SWIFT flew over the field and marsh at Southwest Area Park in 
>Baltimore County. It only lingered for about 5 minutes.
>

==================================
Phil Davis      Davidsonville, Maryland     USA
                 mailto:[log in to unmask]
==================================