A little change…

Hopefully this email finds you without frost, rain, and snow, and with lots of promise for returning chimney swifts. The National Roost Monitoring Program (NRMP) is due to start Wednesday May 20; it continues on May 24 and May 28.

We have a revised date for the fourth night of the NRMP. The new target is MONDAY, JUNE 1. If it is convenient for you to adjust your schedules, please shift to this date. If the revised date is not convenient for you, please monitor on Tuesday, June 2 as we first requested.
The fifth, special made-for-Manitoba night, remains on Saturday June 6.

We are looking forward to hearing from you about your swifts!

They’re back!

The first report of spring arrivals has come from Ken in Dauphin. Sunday, May 3 was the magic moment we all have waited for. It is best described in Ken’s words –

“I went for a pedal bike ride this evening passing our roost chimney, I decided to pause as sunset was approaching, heard gulls flying over high and tried to focus on them and a pair of chimney swifts came into view, circled and went down the Dauphin roost chimney right at our sunset (9:03 PM). So, they’re back.”

​Congratulations Ken for spying the returning chimney swifts! I hope many others will have first community sightings over the next few days. Keep the reports coming in as we wait for our first national monitoring night on May 20.

We have Factsheets!

The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative has Factsheets!

Thanks to a grant from Environment Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk (HSP), MCSI have produced a set of 3 factsheets which are now available for distribution in English and French. These highlight the continued plight of our friendly neighbourhood chimney dwellers and highlights the importance of continued conservation management. Here is a brief description of each factsheet:

Factsheet #1: ‘Chimney Swift: Manitoba’s Flying Cigar’. This describes the ecology, life-cycle, Manitoban range and conservation of the Chimney Swift. Pour la version française, cliquez ici.

Factsheet #2: ‘Are Chimney Swifts Using My Chimney?’ A pertinent question! Descriptions and illustrations tell home and business owners how they might discover if their chimney is a home for Chimney Swifts. Pour la version française, cliquez ici.

Factsheet #3: ‘Become a Chimney Swift Champion’. This gives people a taster of how they might ‘champion’ the conservation of Chimney Swifts as home and business owners and/or volunteers. We will be releasing more information about our new ‘Swift Champion’ program in the coming months, so please watch this space. Pour la version française, cliquez ici.

The factsheets are available either as paper copies or on our website. There are links to the documents on the home and resources pages of the MCSI website. We intend that these can be given to landlords, property owners, school boards, church councils, in fact anyone with a building with Chimney Swifts! Please think if there is anyone you know who might be interested.

If you would like copies to distribute in your local area, please contact our Habitat and Stewardship Outreach Coordinator, Tim Poole at mcsi.outreach@gmail.com.

PS These factsheets involved a huge effort from many people, not just MCSI Steering Committee members. Special thanks must go to Richard Cain who created the design and layout of each individual factsheet and then even created his own original illustration at the top of the 2nd sheet. Diana Teal drafted the text and Luc Blanchette translated it to French. Finally, a number of people donated photos, namely Bruce Di Labio, Christian Artuso, Ken Wainwright, Rob Stewart and Nicole Firlotte.

Look up – Way Up!

Confessions from a person of a certain vintage: I loved the morning invitation from the FriendlyGiant to look waaaaay up and visit his castle…perhaps this early conditioning led to the love of staring at the sky around chimney rims. While the refrains from the harp and recorder were sweet, the chittering of chimney swifts is my favourite sound now. Near mid-May, we hope to look up, listen for, and welcome our chimney swifts back to Manitoba. Here is the monitoring plan for 2015…

THE WHAT AND WHY OF IT ALL:

The 2015 MCSI monitoring season will run with two programs (same as for 2014). We start by supporting the National Roost Monitoring Program (NRMP); the monitoring data tracks the spring arrival and dispersal of migrating swifts, records peak counts, and provides the basis for subsequent trend analysis. Bird Studies Canada, Ontario Region, then uses the NRMP data to map the results:
http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/NRMPmaps2014.pdf
The NRMP monitoring protocol is posted at: http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/NRMP2015.pdf

The monitoring season continues with our provincial MCSI Roost and Nest Site Monitoring Program. This program tracks the abundance of roosting chimney swifts and the progress of breeding pairs, and their young, at nest sites; fall migration trends also are documented. The provincial monitoring program data supports various MCSI Steering Committee activities e.g., the preparation of “Guidelines for Creating Chimney Swift Nesting or Roosting Chimneys in Manitoba” ( http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/MCSI_artificialstructures2015.pdf ). Tim Poole, our MCSI Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator, will use your monitoring data to identify needs and deliver programs e.g., the restoration of a deteriorating site or a school visit.
The MCSI Roost and Nest Site Monitoring Program monitoring protocol is posted at:
http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/MCSI_monitoring2015.pdf

WHEN DO WE MONITOR?
The NRMP dates have been set for May 20, 24, 28, and June 2. The MCSI Steering Committee is asking for an extra evening of your valuable time on June 6. In Manitoba, chimney swifts occupy the northwest portion of the summer distribution. Our birds arrive later in the spring compared to areas further south and east. So, the addition of June 6 accommodates the offset date for peak migration in Manitoba.

The monitoring protocol for NRMP differs slightly for May and June.

For May 20, 24, 28:

  •     watch the chimneys for the roosting hour = 1/2 hour before to 1/2 hour after sunset;
  •     record the time of an entry or exit and the number of chimney swifts seen during the event.

MCSI would like to designate active chimneys as roost or nest sites. We distinguish between roost and nest sites on the basis of chimney swift behaviour. Roost sites are occupied by chimney swifts resting for the night; typically, only entries occur during the roosting hour and then the swifts leave the next morning within 1/2 hour of sunrise. Nest sites are used during the daytime i.e., times outside of the roosting hour (entries) and period of first morning departures (1/2 hour before to 1/2 hour after sunrise). In early June, daytime activity (entries/exits) indicates that breeding adults are nest building. So for the June dates, we are pushing our incredible good luck by asking you for a slightly longer viewing session.

For June 2 and 6:

  •     watch the chimneys for an extra 1/2 to 3/4 hour PRIOR to the roosting hour THEN CONTINUE to watch during the roosting hour. You will have a total of 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hour at the chimney side. Keep it convenient – any extra daytime monitoring would be appreciated.
  •     record the time of an entry or exit and the number of chimney swifts seen during the event.

Beyond the NRMP and extra MCSI date, any monitoring you do this year would be useful to us. Meeting with other monitors can add to the fun. The Selkirk Squad enjoys regular Monday outings to their sites. Last year, their hard work was rewarded with the discovery of two new active chimneys! Monitoring results from occasional viewing and opportunistic observations are valuable also – we keep track of them all. Tell us about any chimney swifts you see in 2015.

WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE MCSI MONITORING PROGRAMS 
AND WHERE DO WE GO?

Monitors from previous years – please confirm that you will be participating in the 2015 program; we will partner you with last year’s site(s) unless you request a change of location.

New monitors – please self identify your interest and a convenient site will be assigned from our database (http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/2014_sites.pdf).

If you were involved with Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas activities – try to advance your chimney swift observations to the highest breeding evidence category = “confirmed breeding”.

​If you are interested in a field assignment – range into uncharted urban territory and/or quest chimney swifts suspected to be using old growth forests e.g., Mount Agassiz area, Riding Mountain National Park.

HOW DO WE MONITOR?
At your designated sites, make yourself comfortable in a safe location (away from traffic) with an unobstructed view of the chimney rim. You will be focusing on the chimney rim to document chimney swift entries and exits. Chimney swifts can be meteoric in their entry to a chimney and they can be very stealthy with low angle exits –  if you blink you can miss all the action! That is why a buddy system is useful for monitoring. If you need to take a break, your partner can pick up viewing the rim. This is supposed to be a fun exercise in citizen science, so make whatever arrangements you need to personalize the experience.

USE THE MCSI MONITORING REPORT 2015 datasheet for ALL Manitoba monitoring sessions this season i.e., for both programs and at all sites. The datasheet is posted in the Resources section (http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/resources.html) of the MCSI website as a WORD document and also as a pdf: http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/MCSIData_Sheet_2015.pdf

SIT ‘N’ STARE at your chimney rim and RECORD the time of all observed entries/exits and the number of chimney swifts involved. DETAIL WEATHER CONDITIONS at the time of viewing: temperature (the most important for evaluating aerial activity as 13 C is the threshold for flying insects = dinner for our swifts!); wind speed; cloud cover; and precipitation. SUBMIT YOUR FORMS electronically or by mail. This is easier to do than it sounds – we try to follow the KISS approach.

If you are ranging into uncharted urban territory this year, trying to find new sites, start with the historical sections of towns. Old brick chimneys are often associated with churches, schools, post offices, and vintage homes; large stacks on hospitals also seem popular with the swifts. During the daytime, look for small numbers of low flying chimney swifts (often mixed in with purple martins) which have repetitive flight paths low over/around buildings. Try to narrow down candidate chimneys = open, rough-interior sites which are at least 2.5 X 2.5 bricks wide (minimum 14″ X 14″ opening), then follow the stare-down routine to catch an entry/exit event. For larger chimneys which may host a roosting group, try to identify increasing numbers of chimney swifts circling around a chimney just prior to sunset. Wait for the spectacle of the entries – it is often triggered by the first weary swift dropping in for the night; the remaining birds funnel in like water pouring down a drain. Try to count the birds as they drop into the chimney ~ it is a delightful challenge with a large flock, but try your best.

For old growth forest sleuths – you will be famous if you document chimney swift use of a natural tree cavity. None has been reported in Manitoba yet! Try to get a photograph, GPS coordinates, and document the details (date/time/weather conditions etc.) of your amazing discovery.

A vast array of other VOLUNTEER RESOURCES are posted on our MCSI website at http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/resources.html . There are links to video clips, research/general interest articles, and the all important “Dashboard Placard” which identifies you as an MCSI volunteer.

Borrowing from an article published in the Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas Spring Newsletter seems like a good way to sign off:

“While locating swifts may seem a daunting exercise, incredible rewards are possible. Last summer, we visited Goderich, ON, with birding friends. We were assured that no Chimney Swifts had been found in town by our hosts, local bird club members, and by the owner of the local wild bird supply store. Before we parked our vehicle, my husband chirped “there they are!” from the back seat. Three Chimney Swifts were making break neck flights around the town square, sometimes mixed in with Purple Martins. After a leisurely mid-day reconnaissance for candidate chimneys, we returned to the town square at dusk. By nightfall, a Chimney Swift quietly dropping into a smaller nest site in a private home and a roost of >150 swifts using a larger chimney at a church had been identified! Clearly, Chimney Swifts are to be discovered if an appropriate effort is made to look for them.”

We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best for abundant chimney swift sightings in 2015!

Barb Stewart on behalf of the chimney swift team
 ~ Steering Committee Members: Christian Artuso, Ron Bazin, Neil Butchard, Lewis Cocks, Ken De Smet, Nicole Firlotte, Rob Stewart; Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator: Tim Poole (mcsi.outreach@gmail.com); and Webmaster: Frank Machovec.

Location, Location, Location…

You have all heard the real estate mantra “Location, Location, Location”. For chimney swift lodgings, location is an important factor too. Old growth forests and natural tree cavities once satisfied all of the swift’s housing needs. As those mature forest tracts became lost, chimney swifts adapted by shifting to urban, human-built habitat – chimneys.

Chimney swifts cling inside rough-interior structures with a minimum opening of 14″ X 14″ – one that will accommodate the outstretched wings of a swift. Old brick chimneys (at least 2.5 X 2.5 bricks wide) or large stacks in commercial buildings are ideal. Roost and nest sites typically are within 1-2 km of water and have a nearby source of abundant aerial insects (swifts only feed in the air). Nest sites are situated close to mature trees or shrubs which provide small diameter twigs for nest building.

In Manitoba, chimney swifts are at the northwestern periphery of their distribution. Conditions here are much different compared to the more southerly and easterly portions of their range. With the considerable environmental challenges comes a need for a suite of habitat characteristics which transcend the baseline of “location”.

The MCSI Steering Committee is pleased to introduce our most recent document: “Guidelines for Creating Chimney Swift Nesting or Roosting Chimneys in Manitoba”. It is posted on the MCSI website in the Resources section:
http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/MCSI_artificialstructures2015.pdf

We invite you to read all about our current thoughts regarding those made-in-Manitoba challenges and optimal habitat requirements for our chimney swifts. Here is an excerpt from the “Regional Considerations” section:

“Compared to other regions occupied by Chimney Swifts, Manitoba has shorter nesting seasons, lower annual temperatures, less precipitation, longer daylight in summer, and large areas of grasslands where only riparian areas support trees of any significant size. Chimney Swifts in temperate regions grow more slowly but to larger final sizes than do those in subtropical climes (Marin and Naoki 2010). These basic differences must be borne in mind when considering the birds’ biology and effectiveness of artificial nesting structures elsewhere versus what may be required in Manitoba.” pg. 8.

​​We recognized that the very successful use of artificial towers (designed by the Kyle’s in Texas), in areas south of the U.S. border, was not being realized in Manitoba. Our earlier-built towers which followed the same design have not attracted a single chimney swift. So, we evaluated the factors that may contribute to micro-habitat in active roost/nest sites and now offer suggestions for design features to be incorporated into “new home starts” for swifts in our province. The bottom line is:

 “Clearly, the construction of habitat suitable for Chimney Swifts in Manitoba is an experiment in progress.” pg. 20.
Successful experiments require data input and assessment. The backbone of our “Guideline” deliberations rested on thinking about the active swift-friendly sites identified in Manitoba. All of those sites (=data) were reported by our volunteers – you! Your efforts have made a difference to our understanding of the chimney swifts which call Manitoba home for the breeding season.

Continuing with data collection for 2015, we welcome back our seasoned monitors and hope to find new swift-friendly faces by the chimney-sides this year. If field work is your favourite challenge, opportunities abound for boldly going forth to uncharted urban areas or questing the elusive old growth forest dwellers. Hide and seek (or is it hide and sneak?) is a great chimney swift pastime…

The monitoring package for 2015 will be rolled out in early April. We expect the chimney swifts to be with us in Manitoba near mid-May and our first “eyes to the sky” dates are set for the National Roost Monitoring Program – May 20, 24, 28 and June 2, followed by an extra MCSI night on June 6. The MCSI Steering Committee hopes to count you in!

Barb Stewart, for the MCSI team – Steering Committee Members: Christian Artuso, Ron Bazin, Neil Butchard, Lewis Cocks, Ken De Smet, Nicole Firlotte, Rob Stewart; Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator: Tim Poole (mcsi.outreach@gmail.com); and Webmaster: Frank Machovec.

A New Season Begins!

While Manitobans are hoping to nudge winter along, residents in the southern U.S. are welcoming spring and the arrival of chimney swifts. By mid-March, the first spring sightings in Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, and Florida are reported (follow the spring sightings links at the Chimney Swift Conservation Association – formerly Driftwood Wildlife Organization; renamed Jan. 1, 2015 – http://www.chimneyswifts.org/). By mid-May, our chimney swifts should be chittering overhead. 
So with the swifts on the wing and heading our way, it is time to launch our 2015 chimney swift season in Manitoba. The MCSI Steering Committee has been busy over the winter preparing resource material and we will be sending out information such as guidelines for building chimney swift habitat in Manitoba, fact sheets, a new Swift Champion program, and a package for roost/nest site monitors.
Monitoring activities kick-off in May with the third consecutive National Roost Monitoring Program (NRMP). The NRMP is organized by biologists with the Canadian Wildlife Service, Quebec Region. All across Canada, monitors will gather on set dates to watch chimney rims and collect chimney swift abundance/distribution data. Last year, 35 MCSI monitors contributed data for 23 sites in 11 communities. In 2015, we hope to continue supporting this important initiative so, please SAVE THESE NRMP DATES: MAY 20, 24, 28, JUNE 2 AND 6!
After the NRMP wraps up, MCSI monitors are encouraged to track the abundance of chsw at roost sites and activity at nest sites throughout the summer. In 2014, we had 57 volunteers monitoring 40 sites in 14 communities and 8 new sites were discovered! In addition, we would like to carry on the momentum generated from the Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas and move all reported chimney swift sightings to the highest level of breeding evidence = confirmed breeding.
We will be in touch soon with more details ~ in the meantime, dust off your favourite “chimney swift” chairs and start those neck-strengthening exercises!
Barb Stewart (mbchimneyswift@gmail.com) for Tim Poole (Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator; mcsi.outreach@gmail.com) and the other Steering Committee Members – Christian Artuso, Ron Bazin, Neil Butchard, Lewis Cocks, Ken De Smet, Nicole Firlotte, and Rob Stewart. Thanks to webmaster Frank Machovec for making all of these postings possible.

FEBRUARY UPDATE: A WARM WELCOME!

A WARM WELCOME TO TIM POOLE, MCSI HABITAT STEWARDSHIP AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR

MCSI has had a staffing change-up. Best wishes go to Diana Teal on her relocation to Toronto. We appreciate Diana’s efforts to get our chimney swift stewardship and outreach files underway. Thanks for it all!
A warm welcome is extended to Tim Poole who, along with his wife and young son, made Winnipeg home in May, 2014. Tim has now landed as our new Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator. He can be contacted at: mcsi.outreach@gmail.com  This is a part-time position so please be patient with the understandable time lags in response to your inquiries.
​Tim is time-sharing with the MB Important Bird Areas​ program. You can check out his other work at: http://importantbirdareasmb.ca/blog/ ; the IBA contact is iba@naturemanitoba.ca 
Tim has a strong academic background and suite of job experience which will serve Manitoba Chimney Swifts well. After completing a BSc in Zoology at the University of Wales, Cardiff, Tim earned a Masters in Biodiversity and Conservation from Leeds University.  Afterward came an 18 month position with A Rocha France, initially as a volunteer and later as Scientific Assistant. Among other duties, Tim carried out field research and conservation on the European roller, a threatened bird in Western Europe. Returning to the UK in 2008, Tim worked for 6 years for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds as the Capercaillie Project Officer based in Inverness, Scotland. In Tim’s words “The intent of the job was to reverse the long-term decline of the capercaillie, a large species of woodland grouse, by providing advisory support to stakeholders including government agencies, landowners, and commercial foresters. Another important part of this role was coordinating and monitoring the spring breeding population.” To round out his experience in Manitoba, Tim has worked as an Interpreter at Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre and volunteered with the Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas.
​Our Manitoba Chimney Swifts will benefit from Tim’s capable involvement in MCSI projects. We wish him, and his family, every success in ​the future!

The MCSI Steering Committee is looking forward to the spring (which seems a long way off at the time of writing when it was -30C !). More news will follow in the weeks ahead about monitoring programs for 2015 and outreach/stewardship projects…​


Barb Stewart

Ushering in a New Year

A WRAP-UP OF THE OLD YEAR TO USHER IN THE NEW YEAR: 
2014 NATIONAL ROOST MONITORING PROGRAM RESULTS

The results of the 2014 National Roost Monitoring Program have been sent to us from Carolyn Zanchetta, who is the Ontario Region Project Biologist with Bird Studies Canada. In May and June of last year, Manitoba volunteers joined in the four night national initiative to monitor chimney swift sites during the roosting hour (we monitored nest and roost sites). The national results have been pooled and mapped. Carolyn said “​Here are the combined maps with all the data from the National Roost Monitoring Program last spring.  Each chimney is represented by a red circle, and the size changes by date based on the number of swifts observed. An interesting observation is the northward migration from southern Ontario towards Ottawa and Quebec.”

The maps may be seen at http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/NRMPmaps2014.pdf

Links to the individual maps in larger format: May 21, May 25, May 29, June 2

We thank all of our Manitoba monitors who contributed to the success of the program and Carolyn for sending the results along! If you have any questions about the results, contact:

​Carolyn Zanchetta
Ontario Region Project Biologist
Bird Studies Canada, P.O. Box 160. Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0
czanchetta@birdscanada.org
www.birdscanada.org
519-586-3531 ext. 132 or Toll Free 1-888-448-2473 ext. 132

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING: YOUR TIME MONITORING CHIMNEY SWIFTS!

As we celebrate the holiday season, it is a good time to wrap up the 2014 chimney swift season by posting the provincial monitoring results. As the chimney swifts arrived and started settling in, our MCSI monitors participated in the Four Night National Roost Monitoring Program. Then, over the summer, ongoing MCSI monitoring tracked the activities at various nest and roost sites. Our webmaster, Frank Machovec, has posted files summarizing the results of your monitoring – thanks to everyone for your hard work! We have learned much about chimney swifts in Manitoba this year.

Manitoba monitoring results have been posted on the MCSI web page at http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/results.html

The national monitoring program results are being mapped by Bird Studies Canada folks in Ontario. We will have the summary map of distribution/abundance to share with you in the new year. While the chimney swifts winter in the Amazon, we continue to plan for their arrival in Manitoba in 2015. We hope you plan to be part of their season again!
Happy birding, Barb.

Not so spooky news!

​SPOOKTACULAR NEWS ~ INTRODUCING OUR NEW COORDINATOR

​The MCSI Steering Committee would like to introduce the latest addition to our flock. Diana Teal has joined us as the MCSI Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator. Coming to the team with experience in environmental studies, urban wildlife, teaching, and outreach activities, Diana is well suited to taking on chimney swift duties in Manitoba. Welcome Diana!

The focus of Diana’s work is captured in her title. “Habitat Stewardship” involves protecting roost/nest sites for use by chimney swifts. “Outreach Coordinator” activities will deal with organizing and implementing innovative ways of informing and educating the public about chimney swifts and MCSI activities. Over the next few weeks, Diana will be compiling a list of candidate chimneys that could be refurbished (cleaned, masonry repairs) or restored (uncapped, unlined) to provide habitat to chimney swifts. If you have monitored chimneys for MCSI recently, Diana may be in touch with you regarding the status of your roost/nest site chimney.
If you have any questions or feedback which you would like to provide, Diana may be reached at: mcsi.outreach@gmail.com  As this is a part-time position which has Diana working on Thursdays, there may be a time lag before you receive a reply. We appreciate your patience…
Any general chimney swift inquiries or monitoring questions can still be sent to mbchimneyswift@gmail.com and I will be happy to be in touch with you.
Our 2014 monitoring results will be posted in November. This will include databases for the National Roost Monitoring Program and the MCSI Roost/Nest Site Monitoring Program. Although the chimney swifts have left Manitoba, we are still working on their behalf. We welcome your input!