This blog entry will cover data recorded from July 22nd till the present, covering a little under 3 weeks of monitoring data.
In Winnipeg, Jacquie and Frank Machovec monitored the site at Transcona Collegiate on July 28th. They saw multiple entries and exits consistent with 3 swifts using the chimney. On August 1st, Garry Budyk watched 722 Watt street during the day and saw 3 entries and 2 exits. He wrote that he thought there are most likely two birds in this chimney. On August 3rd, Blair Reed watched the chimney at Springs Christian Academy both during roosting hour and during the day. In the daytime, he observed3 entries and 2 exits, but admits he may have missed a third exit. In the evening he observed 7 entries and 5 exits, leaving 2 in the chimney at the end of the night.
Patricia Start monitored the chimney at the Watson Arts Centre in Dauphin on both July 29th ad July 30th. On the 29th, she saw 1 entrance and 5 exits, writing in her email that she may have missed additional entries. On the 30th, she spotted one exit and three entries. After moving to a breezier spot to get away from the heat, she saw 2 more exits. On August 6th, Pat monitored the Hong Kong café and saw entries and three exits.
In Brandon, the North Chimney at 1203 Princess was monitored by Sandy Homineck, Louanne Reid Glennis Lewis and Gillian and Gwynn Richards. They monitored on July 27th and August 3rd. On the 27th, 10 entries and exits were observed during the evening with 2 birds in the chimney at the end of the night. On August 3rd, 12 entries and 9 exits were observed, with 2 confirmed and possibly a 3rd swift in the chimney.
In Selkirk, Aditya Gandhi was at the Selkirk mental health centre on August 2nd and 3rd to watch the courtyard tower and the tall tower during the day. The tall tower had 5 entries and 5 exits. With 1 exit coming after another after only a single entry, indicating 2 birds were using the chimney. At the courtyard tower, Aditya observed 2 entries and 2 exits. Nia Massey and Linda Adie covered some chimneys at the Mental Health centre on July 28th. Linda watched the powerhouse tower and saw 1 entry. Nia’s chimney quite a bit busier, with 12 entries and 8 exits over the course of the monitoring period. The night ended with 4 swifts in the chimney. On August 3rd, Nia, Linda and Gerald were all back for more monitoring, along with Robert Hempler and Winona Hook. With many volunteers present, most of the chimneys and towers on the site were monitored that day. Gerald watched the courtyard chimney, which had 8 entries and 6 exits, leaving 2 swifts in the chimney at the end of the roost. Nia and Linda watched both the yellow brick chimney and the stack replacement tower. The yellow brick chimney had 11 entries and 6 exits, with 5 remaining. The replacement tower had 3 entries and 1 exit, leaving 2 in the tower. In the same evening, Robert and Winona watched the infirmary chimney and observed only 2 entries, most likely going in for the evening. Robert Winona and Gerald also had eyes on the “tall tower”. They observed 5 entries and 4 exits, one after another over the period of an hour. 1 remained in the chimney at the end o the monitoring period.
On July 29th at Lower Fort Garry, Gerald Machnee watched the new chimney on the Men’s House and observed 3 entries and two exits during at 85-minute monitoring period. At roosting hour, there was 1 swift in the chimney. More recently, on August 3rd, Tim Poole visited Lower Fort Garry and watched the new site at the Men’s House. He saw 4 entries and 4 exits in 1 hour, indicating that the swifts were feeding their young. Then, on August 5th, Gerald Machnee watched the chimney once again and had more activity with 6 entries and 5 exits in the evening.
Thanks to everyone for their continued dedication to monitoring!
