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.