The flux of birds

[howard bruner]

We made the choice to drive up to Clinic hill to watch heaven's fire. The sky moved from charcoal with pink wisps to silvered sheen overlaid with burnt orange. Long threadlike skeins of speckle-bellied geese snaked high - just below the cloud deck, so high their yodeling came down to earth like ethereal rain. Then it was a run to the Whiteside to determine if the Vaux's swift were still making Corvallis their choice for overnight accommodation. They were, at least 800 or so and as they gathered, swirled, and found the magic of making a swift rope, poured down the chimney. The bonus was the crescent moon peeking in through the cloud gaps. 

H