Swifty's Big Flight, a children's book

Swifty's Big Flight gets a "plug" during Swift Watch 2011

2011-09-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you NewsChannel 8, for giving Swifty's Big Flight a little

"air" time. We appreciate it. We would like to remind our fans

that if you visit the swifts at Chapman Elementary School, please

remember to remove what you bring it. Card board boxes don't

look so great in the rain. :-)

Thank you Child's Play on NW 23rd Avenue for your Book Order!

2011-08-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Swifty's Big Flight is now for sale at Child's Play in Northwest Portland! Woo hoo!

It's Book Ordering Season!

2011-08-06T11:10:00.001-07:00

As the Vaux's Swifts enjoy August in Canada, we here in their Oregon roosting spot are preparing for their return in September. We recently received an order to supply all of the New Season's Grocery Stores in the Greater Portland region with copies of "Swifty's Big Flight." Thank you New Seasons!

Food Front, Audubon Society of Portland and Umpqua Bank Host "Swifty's Big Flight" Book Raffle at Food Front Northwest Portland

2010-09-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

A warm evening played host to about 50 people in front of Food Front's Northwest Portland, store, where Gus Henry Clevenger and Than Clevenger (aka, "Jackson" in Lee Jackson, the authors of "Swifty's Big Flight"."

It was an enjoyable event and we loved the chocolate chip oatmeal cookie balls.

Yummy.

Let's Flock Together; A Swifts Celebration

2010-09-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

Let's Flock Together; A Swifts Celebration
Friday, September 10
Location: Food Front NW

The authors of Swifty's Big Flight will be at Food Front NW at 6pm with signed books. We'll be raffling off copies and having dessert before going to watch the Swifts at Wallace Park. Earlier, at 5pm, there will be wine and appetizers at Umpqua Bank at 23rd and Glisan. Join us!

Thank you Food Front and Audubon Society of Portland for your Book Order

2010-08-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Food Front Co-Operative and the Audubon Society of Portland Bookstore recently re-stocked their shelves with new orders of "Swifty's Big Flight" in anticipation of "Swift Watch 2010" at Champan Elementary School.

A donation to the Audubon Society of Portland will be made for each copy of "Swifty's Big Flight" sold during the year.

Lee Jackson

Swift Watch 2010. Vaux's Swifts Make First Appearance at Chapman 8/21/10

2010-08-21T07:18:00.001-07:00

August 21, 2010 -- The Vaux's Swifts have returned from their summer Canadian vacation to Chapman Elementary School's chimney in Northwest Portland. Their numbers are small - about 100 birds -- these are the vanguard of the tens of thousands to follow.

Please be sure to pick up a copy of "Swifty's Big Flight" at all Food Front Food Co-Operatives, Renaissance Books Store on NW 23rd Avenue, Powell's, and all Back Yard Bird Shops. You can also pick up a copy of "Swifty's Big Flight" at the Audubon Society of Portland Bookstore on NW Cornell Road.

Lee Jackson

Sadness for Gulf Coast Birds

2010-06-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

We will donate 100% of the profits of our children's book, Swifty's Big Flight" in the month of June to the Audubon Society, in order to help save birds injured by the BP oil spill.

It is extremely sad to see so many animals dying by slow degrees as a result of this epic disaster.

We can't do much, but we can do our small part to save these lives.

Seattle Times Takes Note of Swift Watch

2010-05-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Birdwatchers flock to see Portland's swifts

By The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. â€” The annual "Swift Watch" in northwest Portland used to be a neighborhood affair. Bird fans would gather nightly in September to watch tiny Vaux's swifts swirl and dive before roosting in the chimney at Chapman Elementary School.

Now the event has gotten so big that government has to police it.

Crowds these days often block driveways, toss their empty pizza boxes and drink, neighbors say. This year, police dispatchers have been told to call an officer assigned to the area and other officers as needed when residents complain.

"I think there's an 'event' mentality," said neighbor Hilda Welch, who has one of the best views of the bird show from her second-floor deck. "Sometimes it seems it's almost out of control. We'd like people to be a little more mindful."

At its peak, the event can feature about 25,000 birds nightly, stopping in Portland on their winter migration journey. And the aerial show can draw as many as 3,000 spectators.

"We didn't know that there were that many people congregating to watch it," said Officer Sue Abrahamson, who's on swift patrol. "This was kind of a shock."

The Audubon Society of Portland has made sure folks know about the avian event and now is trying to help manage it, handing out traffic cones to some residents so they can block off their driveways.

"In a way, we're a victim of our own success," said Steve Robertson, the Audubon Society's education director. "We want it to be an enjoyable experience, including for the neighbors. We don't want them to have a love-hate relationship with Swift Watch."

The operators of Montgomery Park, an office park four blocks away, are offering hundreds of free parking spaces.

Residents have been enjoying the show at Chapman since the swifts began visiting Portland in the mid-1990s. They say they're happy about the crackdown on the rowdies, if a little wistful about the old days.

And some of the visitors are considerate folk. Last year, a birdwatcher knocked on Kevin Tomlinson's door and asked if he could park in his driveway. Sure, Tomlinson said. The man parked his car, then knocked on the door again â€” to hand Tomlinson a bottle of wine.

Swift Watch 2009 Video from KOIN 6 News

2010-02-20T17:08:00.000-08:00

Thank you Audubon Society of Portland for your excellent volunteer and education work at Swift Watch 2009 in Northwest Portland. The community appreciates your hard work.

Welcome Backyard Bird Shops!

2009-09-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

We recently received a significant order from our new friends at the Backyard Bird Shop!. They have seven locations in the Portland area and have been in business for a decade and a half.

The folks at Backyard Bird Shop believe that "hosting wild birds and other backyard wildlife promotes both concern for, and conservation of, those creatures." Their shops "provide the products and information necessary to transform a typical urban backyard into a habitat for birds, squirrels, bats, mason bees and other wildlife."

Swift Watch 2009 Begins

2009-08-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

We just received an email from the Portland Audubon Society that 1,200 Swifts were counted at Chapman Elementary School in Northwest Portland last night. For more information, please visit: http://www.audubonportland.org/local-birding/swiftwatch/getting-there

Swifty's Big Flight Now Available at New Renaissance Bookshop, Northwest 23rd and Pettygrove, Portland, Oregon

2009-07-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to share the news that New Renaissance Booskshop is carrying Swifty's Big Flight. We think the values on their Website accurately describes the feeling one gets when you walk into to this charming oasis at the north end of very busy NW 23rd...

NRB Vision Statement ...

Through New Renaissance we consciously attune ourselves to the Divine and manifest that vision as channels of God's Light. We nurture the spiritual awakening of truthseekers of all paths by attuning to the highest needs of our customers and ourselves, creating an uplifting environment of unconditional love and acceptance, offering spiritual teachings from East and West and providing healing products and services. Our business serves as an example reflecting the values of balance, good health and abundance to promote a holistic, spiritual and joyous lifestyle.

Swifty could not say it any better himself (if he could really talk). Thanks, Andrew!

Swifty's Big Flight Now Available at Kobos Coffee in NW Portland!

2009-07-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of Swifty's Big Flight!

Kobos Coffee on NW Vaughn in Portland is a coffee lovers paradise. We love wandering their retail store on a rainy Portland day looking for interesting and creative notions of one kind or another. We are now thrilled to see Swifty's Big Flight cheerfully propped amongst the other children's books in this cool little store.

Please stop by, have a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy a quiet moment with Swifty's Big Flight. Thanks Susan Kobos!

Swifty's Big Flight Now Available at A Children's Place Bookstore in NE Portland!

2009-07-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of Swifty!

We are thrilled to have received an order from A Children's Place Bookstore on NE Fremont in Portland. We had been receiving requests to send the book there, but we were never able to connect with them online. So, we picked up the phone one day and simply called them (duh!). They were pleased to hear from us and asked us to bring a dozen copies over right away. Really nice people. Great book store too! A perfect place for children and families. Swifty highly recommends it.

Swifty's Big Flight Now Available at the Multnomah Athletic Club Store

2009-07-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of Swifty,

Members of the Multnomah Athletic Club can now find a copy of Swifty's Big Flight in the MAC store. Thanks MAC for carrying our book!

Thank You Madrone Audubon Society, Sonoma, California!

2009-04-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

Leaves Newsletter, Madrone Audubon Society, May 2009.

Reviewed by Mary Edith Moore

Today, Swifty is eight weeks old, and it’s time for his first big flight from the Pacific Northwest to Central America. Swifty is a Vaux’s Swift and eager to begin the long journey. Just before exiting the family hollow, Father tells Swifty to look for the biggest hollow on the edge of the forest where the “trees touch the city lights”. This is where the colony will roost for the night. Father also cautions him to lookout for hawks.

Lee keeps the reader in suspense as Swifty soars over the trees, towns, and towers. Flying is great fun and Swifty is thoroughly enjoying his adventure. But night is approaching and so is a hungry hawk. The biggest hollow at the edge of the forest cannot be found and before Swifty can find shelter—Bam!

Swifty’s Big Flight by Lee Jackson is a delightful, well-written chronicle with beautiful illustrations of a Vaux’s Swift’s first long flight. This book can be read by the average third or fourth grader or read to a younger child.

NOTE: During their fall migration in September, these tiny birds can be viewed in huge numbers when they come to roost at the chimney on the Rio Lindo Academy campus in Healdsburg CA.

Some nice words about Swifty's Big Flight from a fellow Swift Watcher...

2009-03-19T19:07:00.001-07:00

Coincidently, that same week in January, we received a letter from Lee Jackson of Portland Audubon announcing his recently published children’s book about a young Vaux’s Swift heading south for the winter. Lee Jackson subsequently send us a copy of his book, Swifty’s Big Flight, for review. I read it to our two grand-children who live here, ages 4 and 7, and gave it to our daughter who teaches fourth grade. The reviews from the children were very favorable. They enjoyed the simple but endearing illustrations and our grandson, age 4, liked to follow the migration on the map. He also liked the hawk attack and the safe escape to the chimney (oops, I might have given away the ending to this “cliff hangar”, pun intended!) Our first grade grand-daughter liked to hear about the manner in which the swifts fly and wondered if it were true that they can fly sleeping and do they really have Velcro on their feet. I asked them if they would like me to read it to them again sometime or if they would like to have a copy of this book. They both nodded yes. Our daughter did not think that it would be an appealing book for fourth graders unless they were doing a research project on Vaux’s Swifts or unless they were all ready familiar with Vaux’s Swift colonies. She noted that it is good to have accurate ornithological information in easy to read form and found the facts at the back of the book very helpful. I also enjoyed refreshing my knowledge of this amazing bird and realized that I had been saying its name incorrectly; according to Jackson the accepted pronunciation of Vaux is “vawks” and not “voh”. As a member of our local mosquito board I was also interested in the estimated amount of flying insects these birds consumed. I wrote Lee Jackson asking him if he knew of any definitive studies on mosquito intake by Vaux’s Swifts. He responded that it didn’t know of any, then added: “ I can tell you anecdotally that we live near a big Vaux's Swift migration site and have no trouble with mosquitoes or other bugs! Just a lot of bird "doo" during September!”

Proceeds from Swifty’s Big Flight benefit the Audubon Society of Portland’s Swift Watch program. The cost of this 32 page soft cover book is $7.95. A copy will be available for preview at our sales table at FAS General Meeting in April and at the Silent Auction in May. For more information regarding the purchase of this book please contact Lee Jackson (thinkfast4@aol.com).

Thank you Third Street Books in McMinnville!

2009-03-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Thursday, March 12, 2009, McMinnville, Ore.

Many thanks to Anna and the owners of Third Street Books for hosting a delightful book reading and signing event for Swifty last night. We had a terrific time visiting with the children and families in the Willamette Valley wine country.

After reading Swifty's Big Flight, we shared milk and cookies. One of the members of the audience asked why the Swift's are not so much of a phenomenon in the spring as they are in the fall. It was a great question and one we are going to have to ask of our friends at the Audubon Society of Portland.

Clearly these little birds are roosting in chimneys and tree hollows on their way back north each year. We see them in the Chapman Elementary School chimney in the late spring. But, we don't see them in the huge numbers like we do in late August and September.

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, September 12, 2009, 11 AM, for our return to Third Street Books. We will be doing a Saturday morning reading encore!

P.S. McMinnville is a beautiful town. The old downtown area is postcard perfect with beautiful little shops and quaint eateries. We are thrilled to have a chance to return. We encourage people looking for something unique to do on a weekend to head out to McMinnville where there's a lot more going on that just the Spruce Goose, apparently!

2009-02-08T16:47:00.001-08:00

Thank you Twenty-Third Avenue Books! And, Good Luck!

2009-01-30T20:11:00.000-08:00

Twenty-Third Avenue Books, one of our neighborhood book retailers, recently closed here in Northwest Portland after an almost thirty year run. They were very kind to us this past fall when we began to receive requests to sell Swifty's Big Flight through booksellers up and down the West Coast.

We appreciate how kind they were to take the book and wish their former owners and staff Godspeed and farewell.

Many thanks for the book review to our friends at the Fresno Audubon Society!

2009-01-30T20:03:00.000-08:00

This kind review found its way in to our email recently from Mr. Howard Clark at the Fresno Audubon Society. Thanks, Howard and Friends!

Lee Jackson’s book, geared for children, follows closely with the ecological truth. (S)he has studied the biology of the Vaux’s Swift (pronounced “vawks”) with help from the Portland Audubon Society. The ornithological accuracy found in Jackson’s book will certainly inspire young birders to take special mental notes on the birds they see in their local environment. The black-and-white drawings take on a comic book feel, but do not subtract from the work – in fact – they enhance it.

The clear illustrations add to the exhilaration and vigor the little bird must face during his adventure – like a close call with a hawk and the eventual reunion with his family and colony members. But watch out! When reading the book to your children during bedtime, expect such questions as “Daddy! Did little Swifty ever make it to South America?” and “Mommy! What is Swifty going to do tomorrow?” Lee Jackson has left plenty open for an equally exciting and thrilling part-two book!

If interested in purchasing copies of the book for sale, the author is offering them to Audubon societies at half the retail cost, plus shipping and handling. Proceeds from Swifty’s Big Flight (www.flyingswift.blogspot.com) benefit the Audubon Society of Portland’s Swift Watch program.

Merry Christmas to All of Swifty's Friends Around the World!

2008-12-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of Swifty's Big Flight,

We've had a wonderful autumn here in the Pacific Northwest. On many September evenings we watched thousands of swifts swirl, dive and float above our heads here in Portland. And while the Vaux's Swifts settle into the winter home in Central America, we are getting clobbered with a snow storm here. Makes us want to follow the swifts!

We have received requests for books from as far away as New York, Virginia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, and Seattle. Children love the story of Swifty and his adventures. Each Swifty's Big Flight book can be signed by the author and makes an excellent and affordable gift.

Email us at thinkfast4@aol.com if you have a special request.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Many Thanks to the Audubon Society of Portland!

2008-12-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

The publisher, authors and friends of Swifty's Big Flight wish to thank the staff at the Audubon Society of Portland for their help with our December 5, book signing event. Special thanks to Sally Loomis for staying late and helping us clean up.

It was a wonderful holiday event, full of children, laughter, home made cookies, and lots of smiling faces. It was a great way to kick off the Christmas season.

Swifty

Audubon Society of Portland Celebrates Open House 2008 With Swifty's Big Flight

2008-12-03T16:11:00.001-08:00

http://www.audubonportland.org/about/events/openhouse

Book Review on The Oregonian Book Blog

2008-11-09T12:18:00.000-08:00

Local children's book: "Swifty's Big Flight"
Posted by Helen Babbitt, special to The Oregonian November 07, 2008 10:43AM

Vaux's swifts roost in the chimney at Chapman Elementary School in Northwest Portland each fall. With "Swifty's Big Flight," Lee Jackson of Portland has crafted a children's book that combines narrative about a young swift's adventure with ornithological facts: Vaux's is pronounced "vawks," not "voh," and these birds with crescent-shaped wings cling to vertical surfaces rather than perch.

Venturing away from his family for the first time, Swifty delights in his independence. He eats and drinks midflight but because of his excitement is unable to sleep midflight, like other Vaux's Swifts. Swifty survives a close call with a hawk and winds up with his family in the roosting chimney, along with hundreds of other swifts.

Bold black-and-white drawings by Ryan Alexander-Tanner feel like a comic book, a comic book with charm. A perfect way for grown-up birders to introduce the young people in their lives to the wonders and rewards of birding, "Swifty's Big Flight" calls for swooping up the kids, the rain gear and binoculars and heading outside. www.flyingswift.blogspot.com

Details: SWIFTY'S BIG FLIGHT
Lee Jackson, Tiger RM LLC, $7.95 paperback, 32 pages

Portland Audubon Society To Carry "Swifty's Big Flight."

2008-08-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

Good news! The Audubon Society of Portland's Nature Store agreed to sell Swifty's Big Flight. If you would prefer to buy the book in person at the store, please visit them in mid-September when the books will be in stock.

2008-08-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

September 6, 2008 - Celebrate return of the Vauxʼs Swifts as 100ʼs zoom into the school chimney to roost. Frank Wagner Elementary School 639 W. Main St., Monroe, WA. Information: www.PilchuckAudubon.org - Pilchuck Audubon Society (425) 252-0926

Sample Page Art for Swifty's Big Flight

2008-08-02T20:47:00.001-07:00

This is our cover. It shows Swifty happily soaring along with his friends and family as they migrate south from their home in the Pacific Northwest.

Swifty thinks about his first big flight.

Swifty, a Vaux's Swift, will travel thousands of miles in a migratory cycle that takes him and thousands of other Vaux's Swifts from Northern Canada to Central America and back again annually.

Swifty's Big Flight is Completed!

2008-07-24T20:40:00.001-07:00

July 24, 2008

This is an auspicious day for us down here at Swifty central! We have completed the "tome" and are proceeding to print.

Lee Jackson

Swifty's Big Flight. Page 14 Sketch.

2008-06-01T09:42:00.001-07:00

Swifty's Big Flight. Hawk Chase Drawing.

2008-06-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

In the story of Swifty's journey, he is chased by a hawk. Will Swifty escape?

And so the journey begins...

2008-05-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

For several years now we've been grateful witnesses to a simple joy: the return of the Vaux's Swifts to a school chimney near our Northwest Portland home. Our children have played on the hill behind the school on many a late summer evening as the tiny birds flutter and chirp overhead, avoiding the occasional hawk with designs to make a meal of them.

As we talked to our children about the birds, we struck upon the idea of a book to capture the spirit of this small force of nature. In the next few months we'll share previews of our locally-produced book designed to appeal to children and their families.

Vaux's Swifts on YouTube!

2008-05-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

This video provides viewers with a good overview of these amazing creatures.
The Vaux's Swifts video on Oregon Public Broadcasting was filmed years ago
and includes an example of their nests.