Happy winter solstice! Today marks the darkest day of the year, so we hope to brighten up your day with a long overdue look at our Swift Champions for 2023! Last spring, we recognized 5 Swift Champions for their contributions to Chimney Swift conservation. While we presented the recipients with their plaques last spring, it is important that we take a moment to celebrate these deserving recipients here with you all!
Our 2024 Swift Champions will be announced later this winter. Stay tuned! 😊
Westman Naturalists
Westman Naturalists are a group of volunteers who have taken the lead on monitoring the chimneys in Brandon. For years, they’ve been getting together to watch the Orange Block chimneys and they’ve had a lot of fun doing it! The kinship among this lovely group of folks is evident – in addition to gathering important data, they view swift monitoring as the perfect opportunity to visit with one another!
It all began with Margaret Yorke and Millie Reid, who first began watching the Orange Block chimneys in 2010 and who dedicated incredible amounts of time to monitoring these sites over the years. Margaret and Millie were recognized as Swift Champions back in 2019. You can click here to read our 2019 post about them: https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/kudos-to-margaret-millie/. In recent years, Louanne Reid has taken the lead on coordinating the efforts alongside a group of enthusiastic volunteers. They have continued to monitor the Orange Block chimneys consistently throughout the season, providing valuable information on nesting as well as arrival and departure timing.
Thank you, Westman Naturalists!
Marissa with the Westman Naturalists (missing a few)
Assiniboine Park Conservancy
If you’ve been to Assiniboine Park in the last few years, you may have seen the artificial tower located at the Assiniboine Park Zoo! This tower was first moved to Assiniboine Park Zoo in 2018 from its original location at the Old Grace Hospital site in Wolseley. This tower has since been very successful – in fact, it has been used by swifts each year since 2020! However, there have been a few unexpected roadblocks along the way. This tower was made of wood, and in 2021 it was chosen as the perfect candidate for excavation by a Pileated Woodpecker. This woodpecker managed to carve out several large holes in the chimney, leaving it in dire need of a repair (and a make-over).
The Pileated Woodpecker peeking out from the old tower (prior to the recladding). Photo by Evelien de Greef.
Together, MCSI and Assiniboine Park Conservancy with the help of their Wildlife Conservation Fund were able to cover the costs of recladding the tower. We replaced the wood siding with metal cladding (which is what you see on the newer artificial towers like the ones at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre).
Photos of the tower before and after the recladding, provided by Assiniboine Park Conservancy.
We want to thank Assiniboine Park Conservancy for their help in funding this repair, for handling many of the logistics, and for their dedication to species at risk conservation! In addition to donating their time on the MCSI Steering Committee, they play an important role in raising public awareness of Chimney Swifts. They also keep a close eye on the tower every year – they’ve got a cool remote camera monitoring system installed in the tower so they can see what’s going on inside the chimney without bothering the swifts. Here’s a link to an article they posted on their website about Chimney Swifts: https://www.assiniboinepark.ca/stories/140/how-your-chimney-can-help-save-a-threatened-species
Thank you, Assiniboine Park Conservancy!
Laura Burns (APC staff and MCSI steering committee member) with the Swift Champions plaque.
Lagasse’s Studio of Fine Art
Lagasse’s Studio of Fine Art, a beautiful art gallery located in Souris, was first discovered as a Chimney Swift site in 2015. The chimney had been used on and off throughout the years, and was identified as a good candidate for a repair. The owner, Kathleen Lagasse, was very enthusiastic about getting the chimney repaired and helping the swifts any way she could. In 2023, MCSI funded the repair of the chimney. The following season, a swift was observed using the newly repaired chimney.
Thank you Kathleen, for being a wonderful Swift Champion!
The chimney at Lagasse’s Studio of Fine Art before and after the repair.
The Orange Block
In 2021, MCSI funded the repair of the chimneys on The Orange Block in Brandon. The west chimney was first discovered as a site in 2010 and has been used fairly consistently by swifts for nesting. Though not confirmed, we’d also gotten a few reports that swifts may be using the north chimney as well. The repair was set in motion by volunteer Margaret Yorke, who sent us a photo of the west chimney’s deteriorating condition. In the end, we were able to repair both the north and west chimneys. The summer following the repairs, both chimneys were used by swifts for nesting!
Thank you to owner Darren Burdeniuk for working with us to protect this important swift habitat!
The Orange Block west chimney before and after repairs.
Maryland Foodfare
Maryland Foodfare was first discovered as a swift site in 2007. Since it was discovered, this chimney has been used on and off by swifts for roosting or nesting. No swifts had been observed using the chimney from 2018 to 2020. In 2021, MCSI was able to fund the repair of this chimney. Since the repair, the Maryland Foodfare chimney has been used by swifts every year! Fun fact – The Foodfare located in St. James also hosts Chimney Swifts, and we have organized the cleaning of this chimney in the past.
Thank you to owner Munther Zeid for working with us to make sure this habitat remains suitable for swifts!
I wish you all a wonderful winter solstice, and happy holidays!
-Marissa
