We will start off this week where we left off last week, with Tim’s sighting in the Transcona neighbourhood! Swifts have been reported over the nearby Transcona Biosphere Reserve in the past, but we did not know where they were roosting. Tim saw several appropriate chimneys on Transcona Collegiate and John Gunn School (nearby to each other), and an entry last week in the Transcona Collegiate Chimney. On July 31st Frank and Jacquie went to investigate Transcona Collegiate during roosting hour. All was quiet in the Transcona Collegiate chimney at first, however from 8:15-8:30 three swifts exited the chimney. After that there were periodic entries and exits by the swifts. Frank and Jacquie noted “Chimney Swifts did not linger near the school. Quick entries from height; quick exits to the north”. About 500m north of Transcona Collegiate is the Transcona Biosphere Reserve and several retention ponds. About 3 km to the north is the Harbourview Park Recreation Complex and Kilcona Park, which also have water and natural spaces. Perhaps these swifts “commute” between their food source and chosen chimney? If any volunteers are in Transcona and would like to monitor a chimney, this one is likely to be interesting!
Tim’s hunch also led to him monitoring a pair of chimneys on July 30th at the Riverwood Church Community Firehall in Winnipeg. One swift dropped down into the east chimney. He mentioned “The low trajectory and direct drop into the chimney demonstrates a familiarity with this site, suggesting long-term use by this swift”. Tim suggested that the west chimney is probably too close to the east chimney (about 3m apart) to host a separate set of Chimney Swifts.
Our Selkirk Volunteers have also been busy. On July 28th Robert and Donna watched the Selkirk Mental Health Centre Infirmary for an hour during the roosting period. They saw many entries and exits during this period.
Nia and Linda watched the Yellow Brick Chimney at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre on July 30th. Their monitoring period started off with a swift exiting the chimney. Only one swift was seen, although it entered and exited several times over the evening monitoring period, before staying in the chimney about 10 minutes after sunset. The same evening Nia and Linda also monitored the Large Stack at the Mental Health Centre. Over approximately an hour they saw a total of 19 entries and two exits, counting a total of 17 Chimney Swifts.
Winona also monitored the Large Stack at the Mental Health Centre on August 2nd during the roosting period. She counted 24 swifts entering the chimney in that timeframe.
Gerald monitored the two St Andrews Lock and Dam maintenance compound chimney on July 31st. Both chimney 2018-16.1 and chimney 2018-16.2 had two swifts each roosting for the night. Monitoring by Gerald of the chimney at 367 Main St, Selkirk led to an entry and exit seen at that chimney during the 20 minutes of observation in the morning of August 3rd.
Gerald also continues to monitor the chimneys at Lower Fort Garry. On the evening of July 28th, the chimney 2017-14 only yielded its normal barn swallow visitors, while chimney 2017-16 had two entries (one at 8:50pm and one at 9:10pm) before one exit at 9:14pm, with the last activity for the night at 9:36pm (another entry). Two Chimneys Swifts were seen at this location.
Matt had an incidental observation of Chimney Swifts in the air, that turned into swifts entering the chimney at the St Norbert Behavioral Health Center on the morning of July 27th. First, he saw six swifts circling up high, and about an hour and a half later (after a brief walk) he came back to see eight swifts in the air, two of which subsequently went down the chimney and stayed there until he left the area.
David monitored the chimney at Lucky’s Chinese Restaurant in Morden on July 31st in the afternoon. As he arrived, he immediately saw two swifts exiting the chimney. Within 30 minutes of watching the chimney he saw two sets of fast entries and exits – behaviour that is likely feeding of nestlings.
In Brandon, Amelia and Margaret continue to see many entries and exits during their monitoring periods. On August 2nd from 8:44pm to 9:50pm there were five entries and four exits for two Chimney Swifts that ended the monitoring period in the chimney.
Blair had a busy few days late last week as he visited three sites for us in Winnipeg. On July 28th he was at 690 St Joseph for a day time and a roosting hour monitoring period. Lots of activity was seen during the day with quick entries and exits happening periodically (indicative of nesting), and a total of four to five swifts seen in the air. That same evening the pattern of quick entries and exits continued, and a total of seven swifts were seen in the air at one time, while two swifts went down the chimney for the night. On July 28th he also visited 340 Provancher for a daytime monitoring session, and noted one Chimney Swift flying over the building, but no swifts using the chimney. On July 29th he held a daytime monitoring session at 261 Youville St and once again caught entries and exits with quick turn around times (indicative of nesting). He also saw a total of three swifts in the air, although only one swift was ever in the chimney at a time.
And as per Barb’s message last week (“keep your feathers crossed for successful launching”) in St Adolphe – it appears that we have had successful lift-off (fledging) at the Church site. This past Sunday Lewis was at Church monitoring the chimney, when he saw three birds leave the chimney – one more bird than entered the chimney in the first place. We assume this was a juvenile leaving the nest. Yesterday Barb continued to watch and had these observations “Today, Aug. 4… One entry was notable with wing-flapping all the way down; hmmm, a juvenile? There were entries with a first arrival, circling, and second loop for alignment. Hmmm, more tantalizing suggestions. Then on my way to the RM, a swift blew out of the chimney and came south overhead low. A JUVENILE”. And during a second observation period at the same site “After a rest, the two birds came out 2 seconds apart and 1 body length – the trailing bird was wing flapping mightily. A juvenile I.D. based on wing margins! The lead swift came out on a trajectory where I couldn’t check the wings, so this is one or two fledglings. There were a few glorious moments when an exiting swift came overhead. JUVENILE wings confirmed.” To sum up Church, Barb says “So I think that there was one fledgling airborne on Sunday and at least one, maybe two, who fledged yesterday (Day 30 and Day 31 respectively). The early fledger seems to be doing independent flight training and yesterday’s fledging(s) is/are still on the wing with an escort.”
The wing margins that Barb was talking about are a good indicator to tell apart juvenile and adult Chimney Swifts, especially as the juveniles become proficient fliers within days of leaving the chimney. Adult swifts are in moult, and thus will have gaps in the wings because of missing feathers, and a difference in colour can be seen between the old, worn feathers and the fresh feathers. However, juvenile swifts will not be in moult, and will have a full complement of feathers of uniform colour along the margins of their wings.
–Amanda Shave (FJM edit)
