Mystery Critter is the Post!!!!

Ok, parents, no helping on this one. The clues are good, and a bit of sleuthing will get the bird.

In Portland is a relatively famous though otherwise ordinary elementary school. It however is the stopover for a very large flock of birds who fly down the chimney to sleep at night. The school is Chapman elementary.


It sits in the northwest hills of Portland with a view that is stunning.


While one might think that Mt. St. Helens might be the real star of the show, it in fact is the Chimney.



The mystery bird is sometimes called the flying cigar.



As these little guys come home to roost, some 35,000 of them, the sky begins to fill with them.


Also, often this is followed by the appearance of predators such as the Coopers Hawk and the Peregrine Falcon.



The Coopers Hawk in particular seems to be intent on scoring dinner the easy way.





This guy was particularly persistent, and eventually came off the lip of the chimney to go after a bird, the flock mobbed it, and then the rush was on to get into the chimney.



So here is the video. It is amazing to see them circle counter clockwise just like our toilets flush in the northern hemisphere! What is the mystery critter?