Chapman School Swifts

OK, so this has nothing to do with food, unless you’re this guy:

Whatcha got there is a hawk (or falcon, maybe?), on the right, who’s just picked off a swift in flight.  You can see the soon-to-be-ex-swift hanging.  I can only guess the other swift swooped in like Bruce Willis in Die Hard and saved his flockmate at the last minute.  Let’s hear it for the underdog!

These Vaux’s swifts gather every year by the tens of thousands and nest in that chimney, which has been stabilized for their exclusive use.  The school installed a gas heater so they wouldn’t have to use this anymore.  They have to live in chimneys because someone cut down all their trees.

Anyway, getting a picture of the swifts is a bit like trying to take a picture of a lovely autumn evening– or that feeling you get when you take your last test in college.  That is to say, it’s difficult.

Best I could do:

I also noticed a flock of these things:

Apparently, if you go to Chapman School in any given Fall evening, you’ll see these monkey-like creatures gathered by the hundreds.  They feed on “snacks” and “red wine” and stare up at the sky.  Then, just as mysteriously…

They  d i  s a p p e a r….