A quick note from Amanda before we enter into last week’s recap from Vicky: June 23rd marks our last MCSI night for the spring roosting season. A big thank you to everyone who helped monitor chimneys this year. However – if the chimney you monitor still has swifts and you would like to continue watching them, we always welcome monitoring data throughout the breeding season. Once swifts get busy feeding their young (see Barb’s post on June 21st) observations can take place during the day and/or evening. Monitoring records during the breeding season help us to determine if a site is being used to nest, and if the Chimney Swifts were able to successfully raise this year’s crop of youngsters. Let me know if you have any questions about monitoring during the nesting season!
And now on to Vicky!
Hello all, it has officially become summer as of June 20! With the days growing warmer, I hope everyone remembers to keep hydrated while watching the chimneys. Bringing along a water bottle and a hat would do good. Do not about forget sunscreen and bug repellant too! Just the other day, when I went to watch Swifts after roosting hours, all I could see were insects that took up my whole vision through the headlights of a car.
As nesting began for the Swifts, we entered our 4th MCSI night last week. We have some exciting news and data from Dauphin, Selkirk, Carman, St Francois-Xavier, Eriksdale and Brandon.
Starting the blog with Anastasia! Back in May 26, Anastasia watched the apartment complex on Valhalla Drive with no luck on Swifts. The same results were observed on all MCSI nights two through four.
We had John watching the L&B towers in North Kildonan for MCSI nights through two through four. On June 2nd, one entry and two exits were observed. For the 9th, it began to rain during John’s monitoring time and only one swift was seen flying. June 16 also had no Swifts go into the chimney, but some could be seen flying.
From Gary and Marj, we have some information for the site at St. John’s Ravenscourt. On June 3rd, there was no visual on Swifts, but they had a mix of gulls, ducks, geese, and crows as visitors to their night. On June 9th, they had one entry at 9:16 pm. Later on June 16th the only company they had were once again some gulls, ducks, geese and crows.
Over at 424 River Ave, we had Summer watching on the night of June 7th. There was a total of 162 entries! Summer made note that most of the foraging conducted, occurred to the west of the apartment. Approximately a week later Jan checked out the 424 River apartment site on the evening of June 15. Peak entry time was at 9:55 pm with 139 Swift entries.
At 424 River Ave, Barbara and Phil watched on June 16th. There was an estimate of 112 entries starting around 9:30 pm, with peak entry around 9:50 to 10:00 pm. Barbara noted that the Swifts were making single entries more than before and observed fewer Swifts flying by in general. It seems like the number of Swifts in 424 River keep slowly dwindling. A similar phenomenon would happen at the old Assiniboine School roost site – with numbers slowly declining throughout the summer. It will be interesting to see how low the swift numbers drop at the new site.
Ron, on the 15th, checked out the St. Nobert RC Church for the evening. With a bit of flying around when he initially arrived, the Swifts started to make entries at 9:17 pm. In total we had seven entries throughout the night, with most going in as pairs. Later, on the 16th at the Marion St Fire Hall, there was one entry at 9:04 and 9:30 pm. Two additional Swifts could be seen flying in the direction of the site at 847 Marion St. There was possibly an entry at that site.
At St. Andrews Lock and Dam Maintenance Compound, Bonnie and Tim watched for Swifts on the 15th. Both chimneys on site had a max of seven Swifts flying over. The north chimney had two entries at 9:15 pm, while the south chimney had their first entry at 9:58 pm. In the end, both chimneys each had five Swifts enter.
Gerald was back at the Selkirk Mental Health centre by the infirmary-attached tower on June 15th. There were zero entries observed and around four to six Swifts could be seen flying above. For the east chimney, there was one entry at 9:35 and 9:39 pm. Next was the west chimney, where no entries were observed. Forward to the 17th, Gerald made a visit to Lower Fort Garry and had five entries throughout the monitoring period for a total of three swifts using the chimney and one extra swift seen flying. Gerald also had an extra guest writing, “I wrote down the time and looked back at the chimney and there was a Merlin sitting on the chimney and looking down. I made another decision deciding that was not fair, so I walked toward the chimney until it flew away.” Was the Merlin waiting for a Swift to pop out of the chimney perhaps?!
Over in Selkirk at the Selkirk Mental Health Hospital on June 15th, Robert watched the infirmary chimney. Two Swifts made an entry while six were seen flying in the air.
Winona checked on the Merchants Hotel in Selkirk on the 15th to see two entries.
Over at the yellow brick chimney at Selkirk Mental Health Centre, we had Nia and Linda on the 15th. Two Swifts made an entry. Six were seen flying above.
Continuing in Selkirk, at the chimney on Main St, there were eight entries observed by Ray and Sybil the same night.
Pam and Bill watched the St Mary’s Road United Church on June 15th during the evening and had no Swift sightings.
We have information from Rhonda in Carmen that there was a group of seven Swifts flying around on the 15th. They must be staying at a chimney nearby. Rhonda will try to find out for us soon!
For the 4th MSCI night, Rudolf had kept an eye out on three places on the 16th. All three locations could be seen together. At Curtis Gordon Motor Hotel, there were two Swift entries and seven flying. The Linlee apartments and Radmon House apartments had no entries, but seven Swifts could be seen in the air.
We have exciting news from Lynnea on new Chimney sites! Three perfectly good chimneys were seen on the McBeth House in the North Kildonan area in Winnipeg. The house was found on June 16th and Lynnea watched it for the evening. The chimneys are slightly on the smaller side, but it was sufficiently large and was close to the river, which was quite ideal. The chimneys were nicely divided by front, middle and back. Our first entry was in the middle chimney! The rest of the monitoring period was quiet on the Swift side, but unfortunately loud on the human side with some loud music from cars keeping Lynnea company.
Over at St Francois-Xavier at the RC church, we had Mike and Michele watch over for the last MCSI night. There were three Swift entries in total throughout the night.
In Eriksdale (northwest of Winnipeg) there was a sighting at the old church on 16 Railway Ave! Tim Poole was traveling for work and saw one late evening entry in the church site at 10:57 pm.
At Assiniboine Park on June 16th, we had Jo and Betsy watching at the Zoo Tower for the MCSI night. There were two entries around 9:30 pm and sightings of a pileated woodpecker on the chimney again! The two saw a hawk, and three Swifts flying around as well. There was supposed to be two more Swifts entering for the night, but it seems like they have disappeared.
Over in Brandon, we hear from Glennis on the Orange Block building chimney. The night of the 16th had two entries. One at 9:54 and 10:03 pm.
John had checked out the apartments on Broadway for the June 16th MCSI night. There were no Swifts in the apartment observed for the night, but six could be seen flying overhead.
Frank and Jacquie went to check out the site at 415 Mulvey Ave E for June 16th MCSI night. They saw one Swift entry, while the rest of the night was quiet.
Over at the Assiniboine school, Beth watched for MCSI night. There was not an entry until 9:41 pm, however, three Swifts could be seen flying nearby. The entire evening, it seemed like a single pair and a singlet were just flying around.
On Provencher, at the Central Culturel Franco Manitoba, Blair monitored the chimney for the MCSI night. There was no Swift seen above, below or beside the chimney.
We have news from Ken in Dauphin who comments, “All 3 Dauphin chimneys and all observers had the same comment, “Boy, that was a strange night!”. Seems like the Dauphin folk have a story to tell! This was their lowest count number of Swifts following the spring migration for over the last 20 years! Ken specifically writes, “The roost chimney had a group of 6 swifts fly past during the count time, but nothing even looked at the chimney let alone go down for the night during the whole observation time. Nest chimney #2018-14 only observed 2 swifts flying overhead with only one going down early at 9:25. Nest chimney 2018-15 saw a group of 5 swifts flying around with an early bird down at 9:14 followed by a second one at 10:00 pm then nothing. Sunset was just before 10:00, at 9:57, and on a normal night, swifts would go down just at the end of the observation time, but no swifts were seen past 10:00, with at least 3 still unaccounted for.” Ken mentions that the weather was exceedingly hot and windy that night, so perhaps the weather delayed the swift foraging? Hopefully, we hear of their come back soon!
Garry went over to the Pro-Tac roofing chimney for the night of the 17th. There were two entries, both happening at relatively the same time. No entries were observed after that.
I had gone to the Trinity Baptist Church on the 17th for the night. I could hear many Swifts fly by but saw six in the air around 9:25 pm. I managed to catch one Swift making an entry, but a few were swooping in, only to bail at the last second. The freaky thing was, at exactly 10 pm, A flock of crows crowded the whole roof of the church. It is kind of nice that they are sociable enough to get together even after flying separately the whole day.
Blaire had gone to the Behavioral Health Foundation at St. Nobert for the 17th. There were no entries, but there were two flying around very close to the chimney until 9:43 pm. They may have flown up and swooped in from behind the chimney to avoid witnesses.
Luc watched for the night of the 17th the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church. There were two entries at separate times, and around 2 flying around often during the monitoring period.
— Vicky Tang
