Our NRMP update is still in draft, but here is a quick MCSI update on other matters including our monitoring evening tomorrow, the June 12thSwiftwatch and a few suggestions as to ‘what next’.
Last Monitoring Evening
Tomorrow, June 8th, is our final official monitoring evening of 2018. It’s been a great start to the breeding season, with Chimney Swifts being spotted in communities from La Broquerie and Steinbach through to Souris, Dauphin and, according to eBird, The Pas. Our volunteers have also committed a lot of hours to chimney watching, some with success, some with none, but all giving valuable commitment of their precious time. As ever, we are asking if folk can begin 1 hour ahead of sunset, and finish 30 minutes afterwards. There are questions abounding about nesting versus roosting, so that extra 30 minutes will help us to determine together whether the birds are doing either one, or indeed, both!Winnipeg SwiftWatch
Next Tuesday, June 12th, is our annual SwiftWatch evening at Assiniboine School, 175 Winston in St James, Winnipeg. Sunset is from 9:37, so we will start watching for the roosting birds from 8:37. Hopefully you will get to meet a few of Manitoba’s best known swift experts, be able to share stories, baking and the sheer fun of watching large groups of birds tumble into a chimney at dusk.
What Next?
Finally, what next? Many folk have given considerable effort to watching chimneys this spring, and we are extremely grateful for your efforts. But the swifts are still here. Each year, a few volunteers continue to watch their chimney through to the final days of August as the swifts leave for a warmer winter in the Upper Amazon. For example, Gord and his Portage volunteers monitor every available Wednesday throughout the summer. The Selkirk Birdwatchers do something similar, as do Margaret and Millie in Brandon and David in La Broquerie also regularly check on their swifts throughout the season. We are therefore very supportive of any endeavours to follow-up to see how your swifts are getting on!
courtesy South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
What about looking at a different site? We have over 100 additional sites on our database waiting for someone to confirm whether swifts have found them. John, in the Winnipeg West End, watches a series of chimneys each summer during the day to detect whether they are being used by breeding swifts. Last year, the count neared 20! Let us know if you are interested in doing some monitoring at a new site in June or July, and we can pair you up!
Another option might be to participate in a monitoring blitz of towns, or areas of cities with only a few volunteers. A follow-up evening in Souris would be valuable, and Manitou still needs looking at. Any other suggestions would be gratefully received.
Finally, we have our list of towns to explore. So far Margaret and Millie had nothing in Rivers, and Minnedosa, Erickson and Neepawa have been checked during the day with mixed success. On that note, we have had some interest in checking Neepawa, but if anyone passes by, please go find some swifts! David has also been doing a terrific job trying to locate a site in Morden, with up to 5 swifts and no confirmed breeding sites.
Frank and Jacquie also did a grand tour and came up with some interesting finds. Here are some highlights:
‘We surely saw a number of obviously capped chimneys and buildings that must have had significant chimneys in the past. Hydro must have convinced a lot of folks to convert to electric heat! It was odd to see some large old churches with no apparent chimneys.
We saw a few possible residential chimneys in Miami, but were struck with the large one at the rear of a building (Old School?) on Kerby Avenue and Broadway. (see photo)
Some likely residential chimneys in Mariapolis (especially one at St Pauls and Dollard/Therien). There’s a neat old church there with no apparent chimney (the old one truncated and apparently sealed).
Baldur has some possible residential chimneys and a church chimney at Baldur United Church (Carrie and 2nd Street). There are possible chimneys along the main street across from the public washrooms (above Argyle Museum and Lee’s food Mart). (see photo)
Belmont Fire Hall (across from the old hotel) has a creaky chimney and there’s a promising residential one at 115 Second Street South).
Ninette has a cinder block chimney at “The Pelican Place” at Queen Street and Front Street.
Minto has some possibles: Old Hotel?? off Highway 10. Cinder block chimney at Contour Furnishings, Residence at Railway and Grieve Street, and at the Recreation Centre (Shepherd and Railway).
We noticed a few possibilities while wandering through Wawanesa and Glenboro.’
So there we have it, lots of options for folks birding around the province. In fact, this is our list of places we want to check:
- Baldur
- Benito
- Boissevain (Church at the south end of town, and the old conservation building east of the railway track)
- Crystal City
- Emerson
- Gilbert Plains
- Grandview
- Dunrea
- Virden
- Ste Rose du Lac
Finally, what about Pilot Mound? A recent eBird checklist pulled up 2 swifts here as well – so if you know anyone there, ask them to look for swifts!
Let us know if you have more thoughts and ideas. We are all ears!
–Tim Poole
