An Ode to Chimney Swifts
Dedicated to MCSI Volunteer Monitors
UNLESS WE CARE
Do you hear soft chitters fill the air –
See bowed wings dash through the sky? 
Ah, Chimney Swifts are racing by,
Snatching at insects that fly up there.
At the chimney sides we sit and stare,
To glimpse at swifts which quickly drop,
Below the rim, to make a stop,
As roosting groups or a breeding pair.
After feeding through skies foul and fair,
They need a wall to safely rest,
A place to glue their sturdy nest.
Can those Chimney Swifts live anywhere?
As old growth trees are now quite rare,
Brick chimneys fulfill the housing needs,
But they are vanishing fast indeed.
So will our swifts. Unless we care…
Monitoring Results for the 2016 Season
Your monitoring observations for the recent season have been compiled, and the results are posted on the “results” page of our website (http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/results.html) .
- MSCI Nest and Roost site database with results from 2014 to 2016
- 2016 Saint Adophe Nest Site Outcomes
- National Roost Monitoring Program results for Manitoba sites 2013 to 2016
Thank you very much
Since 2007, Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative volunteers have monitored roost and nest chimneys throughout the province. After 10 seasons, we have learned a great deal about the distribution, abundance, and site dynamics of Chimney Swifts living at the northern periphery of their distribution. MCSI shares and acts on that knowledge through publications, habitat stewardship initiatives, and outreach programs.
Our thanks are sent out to the many people who have dedicated themselves to caring about this species at risk. Your efforts are appreciated and make a difference!
We look forward to welcome you all by the chimney sides in 2017,
— Barb Stewart, St Adolphe monitor and Steering Committee Member, for the MCSI team: Tim Poole, Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator; Frank Machovec, Webmaster and Steering Committee Member; Christian Artuso, Ron Bazin, Neil Butchard, Lewis Cocks, Ken De Smet, Nicole Firlotte, and Rob Stewart, Steering Committee Members.