Hello swifters
Cheers
(An article by Tim Poole for the Fort Rouge Leisire Centre Newsletter)
I am sitting on the grass opposite the Fort Rouge Leisure Centre minutes before sundown in late May, eyes fixed on the large brick chimney at the rear of the building, with the noise of heavy Osborne traffic as background music. I am waiting to see an endangered bird enter its evening roost. This might not seem like an obvious place to find a threatened species but the bird in question may be present in your place of work, leisure, worship or home.
Chimney Swifts are present in Winnipeg from May until August before heading to South America to spend the winter. Since 1968 their population has declined by 95% leading to the Chimney Swift becoming a protected species federally and provincially. This huge decline is linked to the loss of suitable nesting chimneys, as furnaces are modified and chimneys become capped or lined. Prior to the arrival of European-style settlements, Chimney Swifts nested in large dying trees like the cottonwoods along the river. The Chimney Swift has demonstrated a remarkable adaptability, responding to the loss of nesting trees by making use of chimneys. Chimney Swifts show a preference for open, unlined, brick chimneys, a minimum of two and a half bricks across and in close proximity to trees and rivers where they can feed on up to 1000 mosquitoes each day.
At this point I should add that no one need panic. These are birds which have lived alongside Manitobans for over 100 years, yet hardly appear to be noticed. Each nesting chimney will contain a single pair who build a small cup-shaped nest out of dead twigs detached from surrounding trees. In some cases, they use a chimney as a roost, and in these circumstances there may be significantly more birds present.
In a few weeks from now, if you are close to the Leisure Centre around dusk, listen out for light chattering and a small black missile with wings hurtling across the evening sky. Smaller than a House Sparrow, these agile birds are like miniature, chattering, jet planes as they search for food and converse with other swifts. Suddenly a single swift will circle the chimney a few times before plunging vertically headlong into it, possibly followed by other swifts. Other swifts spotted in the evening sky might be roosting in chimneys on Beresford or even over the road in Riverview.
The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative was started by Nature Manitoba in 2007 with the aim of monitoring and conserving these special birds in Manitoba. We are keen to get in touch with any local residents who would be interested in monitoring swifts. We are also keen to arrange an evening out at a chimney to show people the swifts entering a chimney. Finally, if you see Chimney Swifts, think they may be using your chimney or would like to receive some factsheets, please contact me as indicated below.
Tim Poole, Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator
mcsi.outreach@gmail.com and 204-943-9029
Hello swifters
. It’s coming up to mid-March and I thought this would be a great opportunity to keep all our volunteers who do not use eBird updated on the migration movements of Chimney Swifts through North America. I will try to make this a weekly event.
The map only shows records from 2016. The earliest records are those found in Peru. In February there is clear movement into Central America, with the most recent records in Florida and Alabama (last record on the 7th).
To see these maps for yourself, go to http://www.ebird.ca, select ‘Explore Data’ and then ‘Species Maps’.
Cheers
Tim Poole
Spit & Sticks: A Chimney Full of Swifts by Marilyn Grohoske Evans with illustrations by Nicole Gsell
Something a bit different for all you swifters out there late on a Friday afternoon in early March – a children’s book about Chimney Swifts!
Spit & Sticks is a story based around a farming household in Texas and their summer visitors. The book is very educational, telling a story of a pair of Chimney Swifts as they arrive in spring, nest and produce three offspring. The human family are illustrated alongside getting ready for their own new arrival, almost as if in a parallel universe. For example, opposite a painting of the adult swifts building their nest is the human family building a crib. The language is designed to educate the young reader about the life cycle of Chimney Swifts:
‘Fun ends. Work begins. The birds’ long claws snatch twigs from the treetops. They carry them to the chimney in their beaks. Inside the chimney, the pair pastes the small sticks together with a special glue made from their own sticky spit. The pair won’t quit until their half-saucer nest is perfect.’
This is in my view a terrific resource for sharing the remarkable story of the Chimney Swifts with younger children. The language is simple and the parallel story with the human family would help illustrate the story for younger readers.
The book is available on Amazon and you can take a sneak peek inside (http://www.amazon.ca/Spit-Sticks-Chimney-Full-Swifts/dp/1580895883).
The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative is keen to promote the Chimney Swift message to communities across the swift range in Manitoba. We have small funds available to purchase a few copies as an outreach opportunity for any local school, community centre or library who might be interested. If you think this might suit your local school or community please let me know by Friday March 11th and I will out in an order.
Tim Poole, Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator, MCSI, mcsi.outreach(at)gmail.com
The Parish Church in Saint-Jean-Baptiste on Sunday February 24, 2016 became the first recipient of the Swift Champions plaque. Swift Champion plaques are awarded to building owners, whether private individuals, businesses, organisations, schools or religious groups, who to do that extra bit to contribute towards Chimney Swift conservation here in Manitoba.
Our relationship with the congregation in Saint-Jean-Baptiste was facilitated through our local volunteer, Luc Blanchette. Having been monitoring the town during the Breeding Bird Atlas, Luc recorded and surveyed swifts using the church chimney. During late winter 2015, Luc helped the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative by translating our factsheets into French (see number 1, number 2 and number 3 for English versions). While reading the text, Luc decided to ask the church for access to the cleanout trap on the chimney to confirm breeding. The church agreed and Luc was able to look into the dark recesses of the chimney. The contents were as hoped but with a bit of a surprise for laying among the assortment of Chimney Swift feathers, twigs and old nests were pieces of mortar.
It became obvious that there some damage to the chimney and on closer inspection the damage was actually fairly dangerous looking, with a large vertical crack between the bricks at the top.
MCSI and the church began to discuss the future of the chimney. Rather than demolish it, the church agreed that we would work together to secure it long-term for Chimney Swifts. The chimney in this case stood a number of metres above the treeline. Repairing the crack would be time-consuming and more costly, so we decided that removing the top layers of bricks would be the way forward. Denis Foidart, a member of the church took on the work with financial support from Environment Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund and input from the church. The results below are, I am sure you would agree, a vast improvement on the original state.
The church have now agreed to become Swift Champions. Luc Blanchette accepted the plaque on behalf of the church at their Annual General Meeting on Sunday. The plaque was awarded by steering committee member Ron Bazin on behalf of MCSI.
Thank you to everyone involved in making this a success, especially the church finance committee led by Jeanette Gilmore, Denis Foidart and Luc himself. Funding was provided by Environment Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund. This is a fantastic example of an MCSI volunteer working with the community to champion the cause of Chimney Swift conservation and also the building owners being willing to work with MCSI and our volunteers to help the swifts. To see the Swift Champion agreements for owners click here and for volunteers click here . Please also contact Tim Poole at mcsi.outreach@gmail.com for more information.
Wishing you the best for spring migration birding,
Tim Poole for the MCSI Team: Frank Machovec, webmaster; Barb Stewart, monitoring program; Christian Artuso, Ron Bazin, Neil Butchard, Lewis Cocks, Ken De Smet, Nicole Firlotte, and Rob Stewart, Steering Committee Members.
The map files are too large to properly display on the this page, so click here for a pdf file of the original national map, and click here for the Manitoba section only.
Many people have said how rewarding it has been to engage in a national monitoring initiative. It is truly an accomplishment to engage volunteer monitors throughout the chimney swift’s summer range. Piecing together information from across the country helps us understand the biological substrate of this threatened species. So, as you view the abundance/distribution maps, keep this perspective – in Manitoba, we have fewer swifts dispersed in limited areas. As a result, you will notice our “circles” are smaller in diameter and fewer in number compared to the population hot-spots in Ontario and Quebec. That does not diminish the value of your efforts! Indeed, monitoring data collected in Manitoba is crucial to inform us about the swifts living at the periphery of the distribution. So, thank you again from all of us at MCSI for an accomplished 2015 season!
MCSI are keen to promote the protection of Chimney Swift breeding and roosting habitats here in Manitoba. In fact we are people obsessed with retaining old brick chimneys, unashamedly so, because without these structures we have no idea what the future would hold for swifts here in Manitoba.
Birds of prey will often nest in the same tree year on year and over generations. One spring, the breeding pair will return to find their old nest site has gone, having been blown over during a heavy storm. In this case, the breeding habitat is no longer suitable for the birds purpose and they move on to construct a new nest in a different tree. There are plenty of alternatives available in this case, but not necessarily when we consider the case of the Chimney Swift.
I have no idea whether Chimney Swifts would return to the same tree in Manitoba to nest or roost year on year, but given how they seem to find the same chimneys here in Manitoba, I suspect this would have been the case. Now Chimney Swifts in Manitoba, as far as we know, nest solely in old chimneys. Many of the chimneys that provide homes for Chimney Swifts are either more than 100 years old or swiftly approaching that milestone. This leads to a bit of a problem: chimneys are the most exposed part of any building, jutting out above the roofline and being more exposed to the slightly chilly effects of a Manitoban winter. Currently we are discovering that a number of these chimneys are deteriorating to the extent that they will need urgent repairs in the coming years if they are to continue to provide homes for swifts. Fortunately, thanks to funding from Environment Canada, we have been able to begin the process of repairing a few of these chimneys this fall and below I give a brief account of one of these chimneys.
Our first repair came about as the result of a chance encounter between a volunteer (and MCSI committee member) and a priest from a church he was monitoring. One evening in June, Christian Artuso was monitoring the chimney at St Anne’s Church on Hampton Street, Winnipeg, as part of the 4 day national roost monitoring scheme. Happy, after a successful evening with 2 entrances, Christian was suddenly faced with the awful prospect that this important habitat would be imminently destroyed. The priest explained that the chimney would be demolished due to safety concerns over degrading (and crumbling) mortar above the roofline. The church no longer used the chimney, they were unaware of the critical habitat it provided for swifts and therefore the obvious solution would be to remove the chimney before it collapsed in a residential area.
Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship and MCSI were able to intervene at this point, met with the church and came up with a plan of action to save the chimney and the nesting swifts. We employed a local mason to repair the chimney and made an agreement that the church would continue to retain this chimney for the swifts. From the following photos you can see that the chimney was rebuilt above the roofline and a crown added to the peak to add stability.
Above: Inside of chimney. No sign of the nest, so maybe it is either too low or already fallen?
Above: There is a second chimney on site. Previously it was assumed that this chimney was capped but this summer Chimney Swifts were observed entering it. If you look carefully you can see a entrance behind the flue, indicating that there are 2 flues on this chimney
Above: Completed chimney, well done Ed!
We would like to thank not only our funders at Environment Canada, but also Nicole Firlotte from Manitoba Conservation for establishing contact with the church and finally St Anne’s Church for their support in this endeavour, especially Richard Ludwick, the Deacon, who has been extremely helpful during this process.
Tim Poole
SEPTEMBER SEASON ENDER – MCSI ROOST AND NEST SITE DATABASE 2014-2015; ST ADOLPHE NEST SITE SUMMARY 2015
All of your sore neck muscles, throbbing backs, and blurry vision endured at the chimney sites helps deliver monitoring data. Numbers. The currency of databases…
Here is a link to the results of our 2015 monitoring season – the MCSI Roost and Nest Site Database 2014-2015 has been posted on the MCSI website, in the Results section. This database lists all known roost and nest sites in Manitoba and the maximum number of chimney swifts seen entering or exiting the site. For 2015, chimneys were designated as roost or nest sites if sufficient information was available. This year we asked for extra “daytime” monitoring prior to the roosting hour for the last National Roost Monitoring Program night (June 1) and the MCSI Blitz Night (June 6); many monitors continued with observations during the breeding season. Daytime entries/exits distinguish a nest site. At roost sites, chimney swifts enter the site within 1/2 hour of sunset to rest for the night; departure is made within 1/2 hour of sunup the following morning.
If you want to look at monitoring results for previous years, the 2007-2014 database is still posted on the MCSI website, Results section, at: http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/2014_sites.pdf
It is easy to correct omissions/errors in the database. So, if you find that numbers have been lost in transcription, please submit corrections and all will be remedied. If you have data that has not winged it’s way in yet, it is never too late to submit the results of your efforts.
A summary of the 2015 nest site outcomes in St. Adolphe is available too. It is also on the MCSI website, in the Results section.
Citizen science forms the basis of the chimney swift stewardship and outreach programs that MCSI develops. Thank you all for your significant contributions to our program this year – the swifts have been well served! Your gift of time and interest has helped us learn about the distribution, abundance, and biology (timing of arrivals, fledging etc.) of this threatened species in Manitoba. With your continued assistance, we will work to support chimney swift populations in Manitoba.
Barb Stewart for the MCSI team: Webmaster, Frank Machovec; Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator, Tim Poole (mcsi.outreach@gmail.com); and fellow Steering Committee members – Christian Artuso, Ron Bazin, Neil Butchard, Lewis Cocks, Ken De Smet, Nicole Firlotte, and Rob Stewart.
The end is fast approaching! Ok, not quite that end but we are almost at a point where the chattering will cease, the skies above will empty of our ‘flying cigars’, temperatures will drop and there will be an 8 month hiatus in cases of severe neck strain across Manitoba. Yes, that’s right, the swifts will be gone and an empty void will fill our lives.
For most of us the fall migration of Chimney Swifts is the time to take a well-earned rest. For some of us the real work will begin as the last swift makes its first steps across forest, lake, sea and prairie to the sun-filled uplands of South America. Why might this be? Firstly, to protect the Chimney Swift nests we are unable to access chimneys for cleaning and repair until the 1st September. By having a range of dates where activities are restricted around the chimney of a building, we can protect the nests and broods as well as prevent any disturbance to roosting birds. We are thus hoping to have a few repair projects this fall, with more to follow at a later date.
Secondly, we are hoping to launch a new scheme in the back of this year called ‘Swift Champions’. A Swift Champion might refer to a building owner or even individual or groups of volunteers. The criteria we laid out for this in the 3rd of our factsheets but is summarized below:
• Limit chimney closures e.g. capping and lining
• Clean your chimney regularly
• Repair rather than demolish your chimney
• Prevent access to a lined chimney by capping it
• Refrain from using your heating system from mid-May to late August
• Keep cleanout trap closed
• Avoid renovating roof from mid-May to the end of August
• Manage noise by closing the damper tightly and packing insulation inside
• Seal off access within the building during the breeding season
• Avoid over-pruning trees or large shrubs on your property
• Advocate wetland protection
• Monitor chimneys on your property
• Volunteer to monitor individual chimneys on other properties
• Volunteer to monitor groups of chimneys in your area
• Assess chimneys in your area both for Chimney Swift potential and for any damage
• Take part in the National Roost Monitoring Scheme
• Allow MCSI volunteers access to monitor Chimney Swifts on your property
• Allow MCSI volunteers access to the cleanout trap on your property
We plan to score candidates against this criteria. Each Swift Champion will be awarded with a plaque of an image designed by local designer Richard Cain. As volunteers for the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative we need your help with this process by nominating suitable candidates for the ‘Swift Champion’ program. If you have any ideal candidates, whether it is the owners and managers of buildings you are involved in monitoring or whether it is the work of exceptional volunteers in your area, please let us know.
We have another important matter for anyone still plugging away monitoring for a few more weeks. Please can you pay close attention to the state of the chimney you are monitoring? It is clear that there are a few which are in need of some repairs. There will be a new blog post soon, but for example see this photo of a chimney in Winnipeg which has records of use by swifts in the not-too-distant past. The cracks around the bricks are where the mortar has begun to crumble due to erosion, probably caused by the slightly chilly winters we can experience here in Manitoba. If you see any signs of this types of damage or any other potential damage please let us know.
You can find out more information by contacting our Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator Tim Poole on mcsi.outreach@gmail.com or 204-943-9029.
