[EBB Sightings] Extra-curricular activity at the A's game

Watching the A's game this evening on TV (Trevor Cahill back on the mound,
gave up the first 2 homers of his career), I could see dark birds flash
across the screen and I once picked out the descending trill of a
White-throated Swift above the crowd noise. Best part of the experience: it
was 70 degrees in our living room. :)

Bruce Mast
Oakland

-----Original Message-----
From: sightings-bounces at diabloaudubon.com
[mailto:sightings-bounces at diabloaudubon.com] On Behalf Of Jennifer Rycenga
Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 7:23 AM
To: sightings at diabloaudubon.com
Subject: [EBB Sightings] Extra-curricular activity at the A's game

Yesterday we watched the A's and the Mariners in a classic pitchers  
duel at the Coliseum. Tough luck loss for Trevor Cahill, but the  
offense is more worrisome than the pitching, as is the A's wont.

As always, I kept a bird list (14 species yesterday), including a late  
1st year GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL and a HERRING GULL amongst the dozens of  
WESTERN and CALIFORNIA GULLS.  I kept an eye on the WHITE-THROATED  
SWIFTS and CLIFF SWALLOWS, which were both present from noon to two,  
albeit in very small numbers; I was hoping they'd have a migrating  
Vaux's settle in with them, but no dice.  So as I was watching them  
out of the corner of my eye, I saw this strange whirly-gig of black  
and white wings descending towards the third-base stands - and then  
the two swifts separated!  I presumed, given the time of year, that  
this was either a courtship ritual (like the interlocking talons of  
some raptors) or even (heaven forfend) the act itself.  But I am happy  
to be enlightened on the romantic life of swifts if others have seen  
this behavior before.  I did not have enough time to figure out what  
parts of their bodies were connected.

If you haven't yet heard of it, please take a look at the new online  
birding site guide for your neighboring county, San Mateo, that  
Sequoia Audubon is sponsoring. Thanks for sharing comments and  
complaints with me.  http://birding.sequoia-audubon.org/

Jennifer Rycenga
Half Moon Bay, CA

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