This is probably the final, FINAL, swift monitoring report of 2019, and oh what a year it has been! Unofficially, you, our volunteers, have watched more chimneys and identified more active sites than any previous year. Below we present a summary of the latest reports received since our last blogpost on August 21st.
First to Dominion City and a report sent from Dave, a local homeowner and an email dated August 20th:
‘Just wanted to report another successful nesting season in my chimney. At least 12 years and running my swift family has been here and have raised yet another brood. Now the chimney has now gone quiet as they have now left for another year.’
Having been fortunate to look in the bottom of this chimney, I can tell you that it is absolutely packed full of swift nesting material.
Margaret and Millie sent a report from Brandon on the same day with an entry/exit cycle followed by two entries.
In Selkirk, Linda and Nia did not see any swifts at the Mental Health Centre, also on the 21st.
Blair sent his weekly summary of reports on the 21st:
‘This week I saw one Chimney swift entering the chimney at 188 St. Mary’s on August 19th.
For 261 Youville Street, I was watching two swifts over the season but on August 20, they were not seen, therefore no evidence of a successful breeding.
690 St. Joseph, was watch on August 21, and no swifts were seen this night. Since there were 8 entering the chimney at last viewing the chimney swifts must have started their migration.’
It is sometimes very hard to decipher what has happened with such an elusive species, but Blair has been brilliant for MCSI in 2019. Thank you!
Also on the 21st Rudolf sent his report from a waning East Kildonan:
‘I had not seen any swifts in my neighbourhood for about a week, but today two were near my home.’
Frank and Jacquie sent a report in from Waterfront:
Jacquie and I parked near MacDonald and Gomez to observe the waterfront chimneys. It’s hard to find line of sight to both chimneys…
Only one CHSW was seen during the roost hour, and there was one entry to the 527 Waterfront chimney. That’s it, that’s all.
I really thought we were going to see more activity tonight.’
On the 22nd, Ken and Jan sent an update from Dauphin:
‘Well we missed last night’s count as we were helping set up our church for it’s 65th Anniversary till dark so tonight was the night to check. As I sat watching an empty sky I thought well this is it for the season but, yes but, after 11 minutes one swift came in and down the chimney and within 2 minutes it was out and foraging again. It seems the young still have not fledged from this nest. Every 10 minutes or so there was an entry/exit cycle but, oh not another but, there was an exit when there was not supposed to be any birds in the chimney. Just before the end of my observation period, 3 single birds entered the chimney about 3 minutes apart. It looks like this pair has recruited a helper for this late in the season. These were the only swifts seen so everyone else must be heading to a warmer south destination.’
Barb was on hand to give some thoughts as to the activity in the chimney though:
‘Thanks so much for sending the summary along Ken…I think you’re likely in the post-fledging phase with flight training. The Aug. 14th activity looks suspiciously like touch ‘n’ go fledgling activity; it was triple the activity rate seen the previous week.
Just for comparison, the ST A fledglings seem to anchor departure for 7-10 days minimum, so Aug. 22 in your chimney is nominally 1 week post-fledging. I think they could be gone – successfully, with juveniles in tow – anytime now and just start the southern trip slowly.’
Barb is such an asset to MCSI!
Earlier on the same day, Katrina had seen zero activity at the zoo tower over an hour monitoring session. It seems these birds may already have migrated.
The most excitement came from Brandon. Margaret and Millie had 5 swifts in the chimney, including some iffy entries. Yes, this chimney did it again and fledged a family of up to 3 young.
Robert and Donna counted 4 swifts using the large stack at the Mental Health Centre in Selkirk on the 22nd. Gerald also had 2 swifts use the southwest chimney at Lower Fort Garry.
On the 23rd, Gerald counted 3 entries and an exit at the St Andrews Maintenance Compound in Lockport, another successful year at this site by the looks of things.
Margaret and Millie only had 3 swifts in the chimney in Brandon on that evening, but then on the 24th the full family of 5 showed up!
Bob and Valerie were at New Silver Heights in St James:
‘We observed the chimney at the Silver Heights apartments a couple of times recently (reports attached). On 23 Aug 2019, it seemed that young had fledged, but it was very windy and as the birds seemed to be having difficulties with their entries into the chimney, our counts may not have been too accurate. We looked again on 30 August 2019 for a while, but only saw one entry; we hope the other birds have survived.’
One week is ample time for these birds to spread their wings and seek some better feeding!
On the 25th, Ken sent a lonely report from Dauphin:
‘Yes, I was out this evening to see how the swifts were fairing here in Dauphin after about a 2 inch rainfall and it appears that the swifts have missed it and headed south for the winter.’
Another report from Margaret and Millie came in:
‘Two swifts only, entered on Aug 26 – we wondered if they had been left behind; or, had they been the only two outside the chimney?
Poor weather kept us from monitoring Aug.27 & Aug 28.
Last evening, Aug. 29 no swifts were seen.’
Gerald also sent another report on the 28th:
‘There are still 2 active chimneys here. Today, Robert Hempler noted Swifts entering and exiting the Infirmary chimney. This evening between 8:00 and 8:20 PM I noted 3 Swifts entering the north chimney at Lockport Bridge.’
Surely not still breeding in the infirmary?
Finally, Barb sent us her final St Adolphe update last week, documenting the final flaps of swifts as they exit town for another year:
‘Last week, on Tues. Aug. 20th, I did an hour long multi-site recce in town. Starting at 6:20 PM along the east dyke near the Curling Club, no Purple Martins, Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows, or Chimney Swifts were seen or heard. Moving over to the cemetery, a half hour later, yielded the last sighting of the season. A single swift flew low to the west of the Church ~7 PM. It may have been in the company of a second swift, but the fleeting glimpse made the bird hard to i.d. with certainty. That was it for over an hour of monitoring. Things were really winding down.
On Wed. Aug. 21st, I was really wound up. During a 90 minute roosting hour watch at Club Amical, there wasn’t a swift to be seen or heard. The absence of swifts made sense and you can’t really want them to linger. The food supply is running out.
Tues. Aug. 27th and another week has slipped by. Swift watching may be futile. At 10 AM, it’s 100% overcast, 13 C, winds are gusting to 42 kph, and more rain is on its way. Another cold, wet, windy morning to challenge aerial insectivores. Two hummingbirds are sitting and sucking nectar at their feeder like it’s one big Slurpee dispenser. An adult Barn Swallow is taking refuge on the plant hanger under the deck roof. No other birds seem to be active in the area. The Chimney Swift breeding season in St Adolphe is over.
Now it’s time to send a big shout out of thanks to many, many people for their contributions to MCSI ’19 – our 13th year of swift-seeking in Manitoba. My St Adolphe supporters, with their considerable patience and tolerance, make chimney vigils possible. Other monitors, who contribute to the big provincial picture by watching, waiting, and counting swift entries and exits, are sent a huge bouquet of appreciation. It is not a glamorous job, but it is an essential job, to generate those precious data points. Tim, as fearless leader, has done a remarkable job of coordinating all the elements of our program ~ monitoring, stewardship, & outreach ~ that make MCSI such a success. Frank, our amazing webmaster, is instrumental in linking all of our activities to the ether zone where we share information and knowledge.
So, keep Chimney Swift issues in mind as the “off season” descends. We’ll look forward to swift-filled skies (and chimneys) next spring!’
And with that, the end of this (probably) final monitoring report of 2019. THANK YOU EVERYONE who has contributed to making 2019 a successful year.
Please, please, please send any outstanding reports back to us. We welcome them even if they are spring straddlers from May!
If you fancy compiling these reports in future, there is an excellent opportunity to do just that – https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/?p=2145.
-Tim Poole
