I really enjoyed catching up with Jacob Miller for this episode of the podcast. I’ve known Jacob for a few years, and it’s been fun to see him become such a talented, humble and overall excellent birder and young man. You can follow Jacob on Facebook and Instagram.
Jacob mentions a website to find information about flight calls of migratory birds. Here is a link.
Check out The Bird Banter Podcast #118 with Jim Danzenbaker to hear about his nocturnal bird call experiences in SW WA.
Hear about Liam Hutcheson’s record WA Big Year on The Bird Banter Podcast #168 with Liam Hutcheson.
I talked about the chase I did this week to see the Lesser Nighthawk. Another highlight of that day was seeing a really cool behavior of White-throated Swift at Frenchman’s Coolee. WHite-throated Swift is a super cool bird. I first saw them at the Badlands in 1987 when I moved across the country to begin my family medicine residency. I was camping there with Kay and Jean, and read about the species on an info board and watched them zip around the cliffs nearby. I learned that they are one of the fastest birds in the world in direct flight, they almost never stop flying except to roost, and in the breeding season they do a spectacular courtship “tumble” where a mated pair seem to clutch each other in flight, and tumble throgh the air at great speed. On the way to the site, Wayne told me about this behavior, and hoped that we might see it or ever get photos. I know how hard it is to photograph fast flying swifts, but sure enough on the road throug the coolee, high on one cliff, the swifts were zipping around, and one pair started to do the “tumble” display quite nearby. We both managed some photos, so here are a few.

Thanks for listening. If you have guest suggstions, please use the Contact Form to send me contact information and suggestions. Until next time, good birding and good day!