Greetings fellow swift enthusiasts!
As April turns to May, all thoughts move away from the less important things in life (yes, I do mean hockey), and to the upcoming swift season. Firstly, a quick update on news from the past week:
- The first Chimney Swift sighting in Manitoba was reported on the Manitoba Birds Yahoo Group by Paul Friesen on April 24th, at Canadian Mennonite University on Shaftesbury Avenue in Winnipeg. Given the extreme early date, we probably should put this down to the ‘early bird’ rather than expect a mass of arriving swifts in April.
- Further afield, Ontario SwiftWatch Facebook posted that Chimney Swifts were reported near St Catherines on April 25.
Now to important news, MCSI have updated our forms and guidance for 2018. Changes are minimal (roost monitoring is still one hour prior to sundown, and thirty minutes afterwards). Frank has, as ever, uploaded these documents to the website, and they can be downloaded at the following links:
National Roost Monitoring Protocol
Now to a recap of our recent trail of emails. We are still looking to recruit volunteers for a number of different aspects of the monitoring program. In summary these are:
- National Roost Monitoring Program: Dates for 2018 are:
May 23rd
May 27th
May 31st
June 4th
MCSI would also like to add a couple of extra monitoring dates if possible, one before the NRMP on May 19th, and one after on June 8th. We would finish the roost monitoring season as well with our annual Swift Night out at Assiniboine School on June 12th.
We are really keen to get new volunteers for a few roost sites. These are our priorities. It would be wonderful to find volunteers to cover the 4 nights for these sites!
Souris – Murphy’s: An Irish Legacy
Winnipeg (City Centre) – 442 William
Winnipeg (Fort Rouge) – 517 Beresford
Winnipeg (Fort Rouge) – 321 Stradbrook
Winnipeg (St James) – Moorgate Apartments, 2187 Portage
Monitoring nesting and roosting chimneys outside the NRMP period: We may look to blitz one or two towns, Souris and Manitou for sure. We will send dates out ahead of time for these events. We are also keen to collect data from new sites, and breeding success data. We will send updates on these things throughout the season.
- Monitoring New Projects @ Assiniboine Park and in Wolesley: We have a new tower going up imminently in the zoo (viewable from the parking lot), and a fake chimney at the Old Grace Hospital site in Wolesley. These projects both need volunteers, to try note the first ever swift entrances in artificial habitat in Manitoba. We are keen to recruit volunteers to spend some time with each one in mid to late May and throughout the season if possible.
- Tracking Down Swifts in New Communities Across Manitoba: There are several towns in Manitoba with suitable chimneys, and potential habitat. It would be wonderful if we can find folk to look out for swifts in the places on the map below. Priority towns to check, with no dedicated volunteer currently are:
- Minnedosa
- Neepawa
- Erickson
- Baldur
- Benito
- Crystal City
- Emerson
- Dunrea
- Virden
- Ste Rose du Lac
Click here for a map of the sites.
Finally, we have some fantastic looking lanyards with MCSI Volunteer and business cards to hand out to any enquiring folk you may meet. This will mean that volunteers will now be ‘official’ when doing Chimney Swift monitoring. If you would like one, please drop us a line (email or phone).
As Barb Stewart says, ‘fasten your seatbelt’! It’s not going to be long now before Chimney Swifts begin returning to Manitoba.
For more information, or to volunteer for any of the above, please contact Tim Poole, mbchimneyswift@gmail.com or 204 943-9029
- Tim and Frank on behalf of the MCSI Committee (Ken De Smet, Christian Artuso, Ron Bazin, Lewis Cocks, Nicole Firlotte, Neil Butchard and Rob and Barb Stewart)
