An exciting kick-off event!

Hello!

May has finally arrived. The swifts won’t be far behind… According to eBird, Chimney Swifts were seen in Bismarck, North Dakota on May 1. Do you have a prediction for when the first swift will show up in Manitoba? Let us know…

Upcoming volunteer event

Important news: We would like to invite you to our volunteer appreciation/season kick-off event, happening Tuesday, May 14^th at Assiniboine Park Zoo (54 Zoo Drive). We can’t wait to show our appreciation for all the hard work and dedication our volunteers have put in with some food, door prizes, and the opportunity to visit with each other.

Here are some more details:

At 7 pm, we will get-together in the multi-purpose room of the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre to visit, enjoy some food, and give out some door prizes. We will also have resources to distribute including MCSI volunteer badges and lanyards, and Chimney Swift factsheets in case you would like some to distribute to the public while you are out monitoring.

Around 7:30pm, Laura Burns (APC Conservation Programs Manager) will give a short talk on the artificial swift tower at the zoo including some photos and videos from inside the tower.

At 8 pm, we will move outdoors for some swift watching, including a roost monitoring session at the zoo’s artificial tower for those would like to participate. We will be watching the tower from outside the zoo (near the entrance to the Leo Mol sculpture gardens). There are lots of other great locations nearby as well if anyone wants to do some other swift watching (or general birding).

Because this event is taking place at the zoo after hours, we will need folks to RSVP. There will be volunteers at the Special Events Entrance of the Assiniboine Park Zoo (54 Zoo Drive) to let people in between 6:45 pm – 7:15 pm.

Please RSVP on Eventbrite, at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mcsi-volunteer-appreciation-season-kick-off-night-tickets-895479823257

If you aren’t able to come to the indoor portion but would like to join us afterwards for roost monitoring, you can meet us by the artificial tower near the entrance to the Leo Mol Sculpture Gardens around 8 pm (no Eventbrite registration required for the outdoor monitoring portion, but email RSVP is appreciated).

Other important dates – NRMP

This year, the National Roost Monitoring Protocol (NRMP) dates are May 22, May 26, May 30, and June 3. Next week, we will be sending out the full rundown on the upcoming season (updated protocol and datasheets, priority site info, etc.). In the meantime, please reach out with any questions and let us know if you are interested in monitoring this year by sending an email to mbchimneyswift@gmail.com.

Thanks, and talk soon!

-Marissa