Last night, I journeyed to check on a swift roost in Westerville (NE suburb of Columbus) and wound up with en evening bird trifecta.  Along the NE stretch of I-270, I had a flock of 10+ Nighthawks feeding over Cherrybottom Park.  This was low-darting flights, unlike the high flights of birds on migration.  I guess this was a supper stop.  This might also explain why migrant nighthawks in Columbus cluster in the river valleys -- they're the only places left with large forests that might offer food and shelter for these birds.

In old Westerville, I found not one but two swift roosts.  The old city building had about 530 birds, while the Masons' Hall 3 blocks south had some 350+ birds.  These dueling roosts happen often in this particular area, since old Westerville has many old brick chimneys.  If the pattern of past years holds, the Mason's Hall roost will decline soon, while the city building roost will stay robust for several more weeks.  Later migrants must find something more attractive about this latter site.

Finally, the huge Starling roost at I-270 & Westerville Road was in full swing with 6000+ birds.  The birds appear to roost in a stand of small pines right inside the southwest exit cloverleaf, and the staging areas around the interchange can look positively Hitchcock-ian with bird-covered wires.  I surmise that cold weather isn't necessary for these roosts to form, as it was a balmy 84 degrees while these birds were gathering for the evening.

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