Biking and Birding: Sauvie Island and Swifts in Portland

This is a trip in which you can participate for part or all of it. Car pool assistance provided.

Each September Vaux’s Swifts return south, stopping to roost, rest and rejuvenate in chimneys or snags along the way. The Chapman School in Portland boasts a tower that hosts thousands of swifts during September. We begin the day by biking the pastoral Sauvie Island and end it on the lawn of the school watching the birds descend into the chimney before Peregrine Falcons can grab them in their talons.

The morning to early afternoon bike ride begins at 9:00 a.m. in the parking lot next to the bridge on Sauvie Island. We ride about 20 miles covering most of the perimeter of the island with stops at the wildlife refuge. The ride concludes with lunch or produce shopping at a popular farm stand there. If you choose to ride a shorter distance or drive to the refuge, you can arrange that on your own and meet up with the group for lunch at Kruger’s Farm Market at 17100 NW Sauvie Island Rd. 

The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore the city before meeting on the hillside behind the school at 6:30 p.m. The Chapman School is located at: NW Pettygrove and 25th Streets in Portland.