BirdWeb: Birds Connect Seattle's Guide to the Birds of Washington State
Bird of the Week
![Bird of the week image](images/vasw_fl_gl_l.jpg)
Vaux's Swift
Chaetura vauxi
Vaux's Swifts do nearly everything - except nest and roost - on the wing. These birds are insect-eaters, and adults may collect up to 5,000 insects a day to feed their nestlings. Vaux's (pronounced "voxes") Swifts roost communally by the thousand in hollow old-growth snags or chimneys. It is one of nature's spectacles to watch a massive swirling flock of swifts funnel into the narrow entrance of their nightly roost.
Birding Site of the Week
![Birding Site of the week image](images/site_fort_simcoe.jpg)
Fort Simcoe State Park
East Cascades
Fort Simcoe is an interesting place to visit -- for the birds and the history. The Garry Oaks that surround the restored buildings of the fort attract many species of birds year-round, including a large number of Lewis's Woodpeckers in winter. Check the agricultural fields on the way to Fort Simcoe (and nearby Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge) for scurrying Gray Partridges.