Roseburg Fall Swift Watch Returns for Two September Evenings
Roseburg’s Fall Swift Watch returns to Fir Grove Park on Sept. 18 and 25, offering two free evenings of birdwatching, educational activities and live Americana music near the Clay Place chimney.
ROSEBURG, Ore. - Roseburg residents will have two opportunities this month to watch Vaux’s Swifts gather above Fir Grove Park before settling into the Clay Place chimney for the night.
The 2026 Roseburg Fall Swift Watch and Umpqua Valley Migratory Bird Celebration will be held from 6:30 p.m. to sunset Friday, Sept. 18, and Friday, Sept. 25. Both events are free and open to the public.
The gatherings will take place near the Clay Place chimney behind the Umpqua Valley Arts Center at 1624 W. Harvard Ave.
Roseburg Parks and Recreation is organizing the events with the Umpqua Bird Alliance, formerly known as the Umpqua Valley Audubon Society. The evenings are intended to highlight the fall migration of Vaux’s Swifts and other migratory birds passing through the area.
Vaux’s Swifts migrate from western North America to wintering grounds in Central and South America. Near sunset, large groups may circle above a roosting site before spiraling into a chimney to spend the night. Organizers cautioned that the swifts are wild, so their appearance and numbers cannot be guaranteed.
Umpqua Bird Alliance members will be available beginning at 6:30 p.m. to answer questions and share information about the swifts, bird migration and the natural environment. Federal and state agencies are also expected to participate, along with two rescued Cedar Waxwings that serve as ambassador birds.
The Oregon Old Time Fiddlers Association will provide Americana music, weather permitting.
Visitors are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs for seating on the grass around the Clay Place. Snacks are allowed, but alcohol is prohibited.
Both events are weather dependent and may be canceled if conditions are unsafe or if the Air Quality Index exceeds 150. Current information will be posted on the Umpqua Bird Alliance Facebook page.
For more information, email info@umpquaaudubon.org.
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