No, not THAT south! Here’s an update from the Chimney Swift capital of Manitoba, Saint Adolphe.
Taking wing was the theme of the last week of July. For me, heading off to Ontario for a family wedding was eased by the support of a legion of friends. Tim, Lynnea, Frank, Jacquie, Lewis, and Roberta did a magnificent job of monitoring the Club Amical in St Adolphe in my absence. At the SE nest site, ongoing daytime feeding on Thurs./Fri. changed to a burst of activity on the evening of Sat. July 27th, then an increased head count in the chimney was detected Mon. morning. I flew down to town upon my return and at least 2 fledglings were patrolling the Main St corridor Mon. afternoon/Tues. morning; Wednesday, the fledglings were practicing some touch ‘n’ go entries and exits.
Over the August long weekend, the Main St juveniles should be next to launch. Stay tuned for that fledging news next week.
Now, it’s time to move to another round of shout-outs and info updates for Southern Ontario. Starting in Guelph on July 26, our hosts Karen and Ken B. took us to the refurbished factory site where Sleeman Breweries has opened Spring Mill Distillery (in the Metalworks development on Arthur Street). The old brick chimney at this site should be opened for Chimney Swifts in 2020.
Moving over to the Kitchener wedding, taking a patio break at dusk on Sat. July 27th was a good move. A single swift flew over the Victoria Park Pavilion then 4 quickly winged their way by. Were these possible fast flights to a roost site?
At another gathering on Sun., July 28th we had the good fortune to hear of Bryan R.’s continued stewardship activities for a Toronto nest site. Years ago, Bryan was instrumental in following up on raccoon predation in an active swift chimney next door. This year, he linked with Ontario’s swift stewards ~ Bird Studies Canada ~ to track demolition plans for the same site; luckily those plans have been thwarted. The bonus round was Bryan recently catching a big flurry of activity consistent with fledging!
It is rewarding to see how many folks make an effort to support Chimney Swifts. That’s what is needed throughout the summer and winter ranges of these birds – zone defence and beyond. Take an interest and make a difference – do what you can, wherever, and whenever you can!
__ Barb Stewart
