Spring has sprung, and migration is in full swing! According to eBird, Canada’s first Chimney Swift of 2024 was spotted in Toronto on April 9th. It won’t be long until they’re back in Winnipeg! Stay tuned for updates on the upcoming season.
It’s time to unveil our 2024 Swift Champions! Every year, we celebrate different community members for their contributions to Chimney Swift conservation. This year, we are celebrating three volunteers that have contributed many years of time and energy to Chimney Swift conservation.
Gerald Machnee
Gerald Machnee has been coordinating the Selkirk Birdwatchers Club’s monitoring efforts in Selkirk for several years. The Selkirk Birdwatchers Club received a ‘Swift Champions’ award as a group back in 2017 for all the incredible monitoring that they do, and this year we wanted to recognize Gerald Machnee individually for all the work he does coordinating all the volunteers, gathering everyone’s data, and sending in reports. Thanks to his efforts (and all the volunteers in Selkirk), the new artificial towers at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre (SMHC) have been monitored weekly throughout the breeding season. Gerald also monitors several sites himself and is passionate about public outreach – he loves to hand out MCSI factsheets while monitoring at Lower Fort Garry.
Thanks Gerald!
Katharine Schulz
Katharine Schulz has been volunteering with MCSI for years, and has helped immensely with our Chimney Swift conservation efforts in various ways. We wanted to extend a special thank you to Katharine for painstakingly taking photos of every Chimney Swift site in Souris for our photo database. Katharine had also spotted some Chimney Swifts in Hartney, and suspected there was a site there that hadn’t been discovered yet. With patience and time, she discovered that the Chimney Swifts were using the Hart-Cam Museum, therefore adding a new site to our database!
Thanks Katharine!
Blair Reid
Blair Reid is a long-time MCSI volunteer. He regularly monitors sites around Saint-Boniface throughout the breeding season, collecting valuable information on which chimneys are being used by swifts for nesting. This year, Blair was a huge help with our goal of confirming the presence of Chimney Swifts at sites in danger of losing their ‘residence’ status (and thus their associated legal protection). Blair was able to confirm Chimney Swifts at 4 sites on our priority list, meaning that those 4 sites are now protected for at least 3 more years! In total, he monitored 11 different sites in 2023.
Thanks Blair!
Thank you to our Swift Champions, and to all our other volunteers who keep this program going! We are very grateful.
Swift Science – Manitoba Research Rundown (Part 2)
Hello, fine folks!
Last week we posted part 1 of our Manitoba Research Rundown two-part series. Part 1 focused on Tim Poole, Barb Stewart, and Rob Stewart’s work on how different types of human disturbance impacts nesting Chimney Swifts in St. Adolphe. If you missed it, here’s the link to Part 1.
As promised, this week we are going to dive into another recent study focused on how other factors like weather impact nesting Chimney Swifts. We’re also going to touch on Manitoba’s journey with artificial towers, and what future research is in the works. Let’s get into it!
This study focused on how weather may impact nesting Chimney Swifts. Chimney Swifts are aerial insectivores, meaning that they eat insects while in flight, and rely on the presence of insects to be able to feed their young. Insect availability is affected by weather conditions; therefore, weather can be used as a proxy for prey availability for Chimney Swifts. Similar to the study discussed in last week’s blog post, Barb and Rob used monitoring data for the 5 sites in St. Adolphe. The data was divided in two periods: 2007-2013 and 2014-2022. They had access to local weather data from 2011-2022.
Barb and Rob also looked at differences in nest site performance. They ranked the different sites using the following factors: order of first occupancy in the spring, number of breeding attempts, number (%) of successful breeding attempts, number of fledglings produced based on visual or physical evidence, and number of consecutive years with successful breeding. They found that overall, the Church was ranked the highest in both periods while Brodeur Bros was ranked the lowest.
The Church chimney, the tallest of the nest chimneys in St. Adolphe. Photo by Rob Stewart.
Over the years, there were several nest failures. To see if weather conditions in the days leading up to the nest failure might have contributed to this outcome, they looked at the following parameters: hourly average air temperatures, hourly average wind speeds, maximum hourly wind speeds, and hourly rainfall. Based on other published studies, they considered air temperatures under 18.5°C and above 32°C to represent ‘reduced’ prey availability, and air temperatures under 15.5°C and above 34°C to represent ‘severely reduced’ prey availability. They found that of the 24 nest failures they evaluated, 21 were associated to daytime air temperatures under 18.5°C. In general, low temperatures often led to delayed nest building and reduced feeding rates while high temperatures were associated to reduced incubation exchanges and feeding rates.
Strong winds didn’t seem to be an important factor for nest failures. Wildfire smoke did seem to impact behaviour when it was a low-level in the atmosphere, associated to reduced to zero aerial insectivore activity depending on the density of the smoke. The impact of rain was difficult to assess because of low data. 2022 was a very wet year, with lots of rain and cold temperatures during the month of May. Nest building was delayed, but 4 out of 5 sites still had successful breeding attempts (a record). Barb and Rob speculate that nesting was delayed because of low insect numbers at the start of the season, but the surge in bugs later on in the season because of the wet spring conditions led to lots of food for the swifts towards the end of summer. I certainly remember that summer… the mosquitoes were atrocious! At least the swifts had lots to snack on.
Not all nest failures were linked to weather conditions; a few seemed to be caused by visits by ‘hostile’ non-parent adult swifts. By looking at which nesting attempts succeeded in years where many other nesting attempts failed, Barb and Rob also noticed that using a high-quality nesting site (such as the Church) or the presence of a helper seem to buffer the impacts of bad weather.
There were some differences between the two time periods. Overall, the breeding success rate was 39% from 2007-2013 compared to 44% from 2014-2022. In 2007-2013 compared to 2014-2022, the nest sites tended to be occupied earlier in the season, but the nesting stages all occurred later, and successful nesting sites remained occupied later into the season. At the end of the nesting season, there were often pre-migratory groups of roosting swifts. From 2014-2022, there were none of these pre-migratory groupings. In other words, the swifts have started to leave their nesting sites earlier and without forming pre-migratory groupings. Barb and Rob speculate that this earlier departure is because prey abundance is too low to support the swifts. Thus, they now head south as soon as their breeding cycle wraps up.
Overall, the study found that most nest failures lined up with cold and wet weather, which likely reduced the amount of prey available to the Chimney Swifts. As we looked at in-depth in the previous study, human disturbances such as rooftop repairs also contributed to some nest failures. Other factors that impacted nesting success were the quality of the site, the presence of helpers, interactions with other swifts, and human disturbances.
One interesting observation is that the site with the best performance rank (The Church) is the site with the tallest chimney (14.2m). The site with the worst performance rank (Brodeur Bros), is the site with the shortest chimney (7.0 m). This begs the question… does the height of a chimney or tower impact breeding success? Based on the St. Adolphe sites, it does appear that the taller the chimney, the better for the swifts. To further investigate this question, Barb and Rob have started a study that will look at Chimney Swift nest placement. They want to investigate factors like chimney height, nest height, which wall the nest is placed on, etc. Knowing which habitat characteristics are needed for successful breeding outcomes would help identify the best design and practices for habitat protection and creation.
A worker repairing the Brodeur Bros chimney (before the swift breeding season) in 2023, funded by MCSI. This chimney is the shortest nesting chimney in St. Adolphe. Photo by Rob Stewart.
As you probably know, MCSI is passionate about protecting existing habitat and creating new habitat for Chimney Swifts. We provide funding to repair chimneys used by swifts and conduct a lot of outreach to property owners about Chimney Swifts. Another important component of habitat stewardship for Chimney Swifts in Manitoba has been the use of artificial towers.
A bit of history on artificial towers in Manitoba…
The first artificial swift tower in Manitoba was built in 2008 – its design was based on plans by Paul & Georgean Kyle for towers they built in the southern U.S. Between 2008 and 2013, seven new towers were constructed in Manitoba. Unfortunately, no swifts have been observed using these towers. The probable explanation for this lack of use by swifts is in the design itself – though they worked in warmer climates, they likely were not able to keep the internal temperature stable enough for the swifts in Manitoba’s colder climate. Also, the towers were quite short which can make it easier for heavy rain to reach the inner chimney walls. If you’re curious to learn more, Tim has written a lot about these towers for the MCSI website.
With these issues in mind, a working group got together to design a tower that would be better suited to our northern climate. This new Manitoba-specific tower design, based on detailed schematics drawn by famous Manitoba architect Etienne Gaboury, was taller and was made of wood. This first tower of this kind was completed in 2015 and was initially set up at the site of the Old Grace Hospital.
Timing being everything, this tower was doomed as its original placement was in late July of 2015, well after the spring arrival of breeding swifts… This delay (and a few subsequent delays) likely contributed to the lack of use by swifts at the Old Grace Hospital location. Tim published a paper about the Old Grace Hospital tower and the importance of timing when it comes to building artificial towers – you can find study here or on the ‘Resources and Links’ page of our website.
The tower was moved to the Assiniboine Park Zoo in 2018. Though no swifts were seen entering or exiting the chimney in 2018, a successful breeding attempt was confirmed in 2019. Since then, the Assiniboine Park Zoo tower has supported a successful breeding attempt every year. In 2021, the outer wood siding was replaced with metal cladding after being damaged by a Pileated Woodpecker. In the words of Barb Stewart: “Teachable moment = don’t design your tower like a giant dead tree that sings out to a giant woodpecker looking for a cavity of its own!”
The Assiniboine Park Zoo tower before and after recladding.
In 2021, four artificial towers were constructed at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre, as mitigation for the destruction of three swift chimneys. These towers followed a similar design as the renovated Assiniboine Park Zoo tower and were built with rough sawn cedar on the inside, and steel cladding on the exterior. While the overall design is similar across the four towers, they are different heights, and one is attached to a building while three are freestanding. This variation is an opportunity to let the swifts show us what they prefer for tower characteristics. All four towers were used by swifts that same breeding season, and T4 was used for a successful breeding attempt! In 2022, T1 and T2 hosted successful breeding attempts, T4 hosted a failed breeding attempt, and T3 was used by swifts but not for nesting. In 2023, there was evidence that T1, T2 and T4 all likely hosted successful breeding attempts, while T3 was not used for nesting but was used by swifts.
One of the artificial towers in Selkirk (same overall design as the Assiniboine Park Zoo tower). Photo by Gerald Machnee.
Overall, the artificial towers have turned out to be a huge success in Manitoba. The success of these Selkirk towers confirms that the original Manitoba-specific design works and can be used successfully for habitat mitigation in Manitoba. Once again, this finding highlights the importance of our monitoring data! Because of MCSI’s eyes on the sky, we’ve generated intel that is being used by regulators that work to protect swift habitat, and that aim to create new artificial habitat!
Wrap-up
Welp, that was a lot of information! To sum up this two-part science series, there are a lot of factors that come together when it comes to the fate of breeding Chimney Swifts: climate change and weather patterns, human disturbance, habitat characteristics, adversarial swifts… These factors interact in all kinds of ways, some that we are beginning to understand and some that remain mysteries.
The key to everything we know so far, and to what we hope to discover, is the monitoring. Without monitoring, we don’t know much of anything! This is why MCSI’s monitoring program is such an important part of our program and to swift conservation as a whole. Knowing which sites are being used by swifts, if breeding outcomes are successful, etc., helps protect existing habitat and create new habitat. The more we learn, the more we can act in meaningful ways to conserve this species at risk. So once again, thank you every single one of you who given some of your time to watching the swifts. We couldn’t do it without you!
All this talk about swifts sure is getting me fired up for the upcoming monitoring season. Soon…
For now, I hope you are all enjoying the winter weather. Happy end of February!
Swift Science – Manitoba Research Rundown (Part 1)
This month on the blog, we want to highlight some of the exciting, cutting-edge Chimney Swift research that has been coming out of Manitoba! Barb and Rob Stewart have been studying the swifts in St. Adolphe every year since 2007 at 5 nesting sites: The Church, Brodeur Bros (now a daycare), Main St (a private residence), and two chimneys at Club Amical (SE and NE). Their diligent efforts to monitor all five of these nesting sites year after year, throughout the breeding season, have generated quite the impressive dataset. Getting the data is only the first (very important) step in the research process. The next (also very important) step is to analyze the data, which is often undertaken by a team of researchers.
Part 1 of our Research Rundown will dive into a study published in 2023 in The Canadian Field Naturalist by Tim Poole, Barb Stewart and Rob Stewart, in which they joined forces to investigate the impacts of human disturbance on nesting Chimney Swifts. Part 2 of our series (coming next week) will focus on another study published by Rob and Barb in Blue Jay in 2023 which looked at how other factors, namely weather, impacted nesting Chimney Swifts.
This paper looked at five instances of anthropogenic (human) disturbance on nesting Chimney Swifts in St. Adolphe. The types of disturbance included building construction, building demolition, interior renovation, and rooftop repairs. They wanted to know – Do different types of human activities affect Chimney Swifts differently? Does a repair on the same building as the nesting chimney have the same impact on swifts as a repair on an adjacent building?
They decided to investigate these questions by comparing the behaviour of the swifts during the disturbance with what the expected behaviour of swifts at that nesting stage would be without disturbance. Of course, this requires being able to figure out which nesting stage the swifts are at and knowing the baseline ‘expected behaviour of swifts’ at each of these nesting stages. This is where the precious monitoring data comes in.
By recording the frequency and timing of entries and exits by swifts at a site (as all volunteers do when monitoring a swift site), we can gather important clues on what stage of the breeding season they’re at. The number and sequence of entries/exits per hour can indicate if the birds are nest-building, incubating, feeding brooded or non-brooded young, or if the young are fledging. We now have good estimates of what the ‘expected’ numbers of entries/exits are at each stage, and how many days each stage of the breeding cycle lasts. Because of the short breeding season here in Manitoba, the Chimney Swifts are on a tight schedule – they must arrive, build their nest, lay and incubate their eggs, and raise and fledge their young, all before the temperatures and insect numbers drop again in late summer/fall.
The first case studied was at the Main St. site (the private residence). In 2012, a three-story condo building was being constructed on a nearby lot (30 m away from the nest site). The construction lasted the entire breeding season. While there were some behavioural changes, such as the swifts changing their flight path to go around the condo instead of over it, the overall nesting behaviour appeared normal and the breeding attempt was successful.
A Chimney Swift dropping into the Main St. site during a roosting hour monitoring session. Photo by Rob Stewart.
The second case study focused on the Church. In 2017, a personal care home on the lot beside the Church was demolished. Most of the demolition took place on one day (May 23), but site clean-up continued until the end of June. Throughout, there was a lot of dust and dirt in the air. Overall, Chimney Swift behaviours appeared normal and the breeding attempt was successful.
The third case study was an interior building renovation at Brodeur Bros. In 2019, this building was converted from a car dealership to a daycare over the course of the summer. While the nesting chimney remained accessible to swifts during these renovations, the noise levels were often very high. During these noisy periods, Barb observed fewer entries into the nesting chimney. When noise levels returned to normal, Barb observed either the expected or high numbers of entries, indicating that the adults were likely compensating for the reduced number of entries during the earlier noisy period.
While these interior renovations were going on, some heavy rain led to the discovery of leaks in the building, which prompted emergency rooftop work. This rooftop activity was treated as a separate case study from the interior renovations. The rooftop activity occurred on June 10-12, June 27, and July 15. When workers were on the roof, there were no entries by Chimney Swifts. When workers were not on the roof, the number of entries was as expected. Unfortunately, the Brodeur Bros nest failed.
The fifth case study focused on rooftop repairs at Club Amical in 2016. Club Amical has two nesting sites, referred to as the SE and NE chimneys. The repairs took place on July 11, 12, and 14. On July 13, there was heavy rain. Low numbers of entries with and without workers around revealed that the NE chimney nest failed on July 16. The SE chimney showed a slightly lower entry rate when workers were present compared to when there were no workers, but overall, the rates were higher than expected – this was due to the presence of a ‘helper’, a third swift that was helping with the parental duties. Unfortunately, the SE nest also failed, but on July 19.
The SE (left) and NE (right) Club Amical chimneys. Photo by Barb Stewart.
Main takeaways
Overall, these case studies suggest that Chimney Swifts are not strongly impacted by human disturbance that takes place on adjacent lots. However, they do seem negatively impacted by disturbance that occurs inside or outside the same building as the nest chimney. In this study, in all three cases with disturbance in or on the same building as the nesting site, they observed reduced parental care and subsequent nest failure.
Based on their findings, Barb, Rob, and Tim came up with best practices to limit the negative impacts of human disturbance on swifts. The main takeaways are the importance of avoiding loud noise and rooftop activity in and on the building with the nest chimney during the breeding season, and the importance of developing positive relationships with property owners. They also highlighted the importance of monitoring nest sites without disturbance to establish the baseline behaviour of the birds, and monitoring during the disturbance to see whether the behaviour changes.
Overall, community outreach is a key piece of this puzzle and where Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative plays an important role. By raising awareness of Chimney Swifts and how to consider their safety during building construction activities, we can improve their likelihood of success.
That’s all for this week. Stay tuned for part 2 coming next week!
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!
2023 Monitoring Season Summary & Call for Feedback
The monitoring summary for 2023 is now up on the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative webpage!
Feedback wanted!
I want to start off by thanking our incredible volunteers. The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative would not be able to do what we do without this large network of enthusiastic folks – it truly is a team effort. Whether you have volunteered your time once, twice or many times, we deeply appreciate your help. With that said, we want to make sure volunteering with us is as positive of an experience as possible. We would love to hear what you thought of our monitoring approach this year – what worked, what didn’t, what you’d like to see next year, etc. I have prepared a Google Form with some feedback questions. All questions are optional – whether you answer one question or all of them, any feedback is valuable! If you need a refresher on what we did, keep reading this blog post for a recap of the season.
If you would like an alternative to filling out the online form but still want to share some feedback, I (Marissa) will be hosting three “drop-in” style sessions on Zoom. These drop-in sessions will be an opportunity for folks to pop in and say hi, and share any thoughts, ideas, feedback, complaints, you name it! If you would like to chat but are unable to make it to these sessions, please send me an email and we can find a time to touch base.
Before jumping into our monitoring season recap, I’d like to let you know about some exciting new reading material:
– Barb and Rob Stewart’s paper, “The influence of weather and human disturbance on the reproductive success of Chimney Swifts in St. Adolphe, Manitoba, 2007-2013 and 2014-2022”, has been published in the Winter 2023 issue of the Blue Jay! You can find on our ‘Resources and Links’ webpage at https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/Documents/bluejaywinter2023.pdf
This year, we took a slightly different approach to our monitoring season, with the goal of allowing more flexibility for volunteers. Our monitoring efforts focused on three categories of chimneys: 1) big roost sites that qualify for the National Roost Monitoring Protocol, 2) sites that were priority for confirming/reaffirming ‘residence’ status, and 3) smaller roost sites or nest sites that are routinely monitored by MCSI volunteers. Chimneys in category 1 were the priority to monitor on MCSI/NRMP nights, while the chimneys in categories 2 and 3 could be monitored on MCSI/NRMP nights and/or anytime throughout the spring/summer on a schedule that suited the volunteer.
We held four MCSI/National Roost Monitoring Program (NRMP) nights so that we could continue to contribute data to this national effort. For a site to qualify under the “official” NRMP protocol, it must be used by a minimum of four swifts. In Manitoba, most sites are used by fewer than four swifts therefore they can’t be included in the NRMP database. For this reason, we focused our NRMP night monitoring on historically big roost sites (>3 birds) that were likely to qualify for this database. Other than the four MCSI/NRMP nights, we did not have set monitoring times. Instead, monitoring could be done whenever worked for the volunteers.
Our 2023 monitoring season included a heavy emphasis on ‘priority sites’ (described as category 2 above). Based on the federal Chimney Swift Recovery Strategy, a site is considered a ‘residence’ if it has been used by Chimney Swifts at least once in the last three years. Our ‘priority site’ category referred to sites that were in danger of losing their ‘residence’ status if use by swifts was not confirmed this year. These sites were monitored whenever possible, and we released an updated weekly list of which sites had been ‘confirmed’ and thus, checked off our list.
Overall, some sites were monitored only at the beginning of the season during the roosting hour, while some sites were monitored throughout the entire season and at different times of day. Monitoring at different times of day, and at different points in the season, will provide different information. Monitoring a site in the evening hours can give us information on whether a site is being used as a roost. Monitoring sites throughout the summer, particularly throughout the daytime, can tell us whether a site is being used for nesting and whether that nesting attempt was successful or not. As we plan next year’s monitoring season, we would love to know what times of day, and which months work best for you to monitor! You can let us know in the volunteer feedback form I mentioned earlier (here’s the link again – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdq4yarv8YTmk0K7u4oStNH0bbWq4ok2KyH9lYn5D2m1lXwMQ/viewform?usp=sf_link).
Overall, we monitored 115 sites, in 20 communities across Manitoba. Out of the 42 sites on our priority list, we were able to confirm the presence of swifts at 19 of them. We also confirmed 6 new swift sites: the Hart-Cam Museum in Hartney, St. George School in Winnipeg, Fernwood Apartments in Winnipeg, Neepawa Hospital, a private residence in Melita, and Frontier Apartments in The Pas. Woohoo!
The updated MCSI Roost and Nest Site database is available on the “Monitoring Results” page of the website. This document summarizes the high counts of Chimneys Swifts at sites, if a site was used for nesting or roosting, and successes/failures of nest (if known).
Over 75 volunteers contributed to this incredible effort! We seriously could not do this without all of you wonderful volunteers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
That’s all for now. As always, please reach out to me at mbchimneyswift@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments. I look forward to reading through your feedback form responses, and I hope to see some of you at the zoom drop-in sessions.
September is right around the corner, and the end of the 2023 Chimney Swift monitoring season in Manitoba has officially arrived. We want to send out a massive massive THANK YOU to everyone who engaged in Chimney Swift conservation this season, in one way or another. MCSI relies heavily on our citizen scientists to help us gather important data on roosting activities, breeding behaviour, arrival/departure dates, chimney use, etc. An important part of what MCSI does is clean and repair swift chimneys. This monitoring data really helps inform these habitat protection and restoration activities. On that note, if you have noticed any swift chimneys that could use some TLC, we’d love to hear about it. Please remember to send us any remaining datasheets you may have!
We do have a few monitoring updates from this past week, which all confirm the departure of the swifts from the province.
Jennifer happened to see two swifts enter the chimney at the Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre (340 Provencher Blvd) on August 21st, showing that they were still around last week. Jennifer monitored 100 Adelaide Street (one of our priority sites) on the evening of August 24th, but did not see any swift activity.
Blair checked out 261 Youville Street on August 25th and 1310 Archibald Street on August 26th. Both these chimneys had feeding activity earlier in August, but by this week, the swifts were gone.
Christie who had swifts in her home chimney in Tuxedo, reports that throughout the summer she was seeing numerous entries and exits. During the last few weeks, she often saw up to a dozen swifts flying in the airspace above her house. By August 25th, she had not seen any swifts for a few days.
Glennis and Louanne monitored the Orange Block Building in Brandon on August 30th, and saw no swift activity there either.
Thank you all again for a successful 2023 season. We’re already looking forward to next year!
If there are any topics you’d be interested in learning about in winter blog posts, let me know.
Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s already August 18th. Where does the time go?! The summer seems to be going by extra fast this year – many natural cycles seem to be running on an earlier schedule than ‘usual’. Plants are going to seed, and the wasps are making their presence known. The swifts too, seem to be on a ‘swift’ timeline this year. We will see how the swift activity progresses within the next few weeks… They may very soon depart for their annual leave. It’s been interesting to observe how the timing of nesting has varied across sites, throughout the season. Last week, some sites were still feeding young, while other sites had already fledged. This week, some sites are still busy with the presence of fledged young, adults, and helpers, while at other sites, the family units seem to have already dispersed. It’s all a good reminder to take notice of the swifts while they are still here, along with the rest of summer’s fleeting treasures.
Anyhow, the swifts aren’t gone yet – keep sending in those monitoring reports! While things are calming down, it’s still helpful to know what is going on at the swift sites in this final phase of the season.
Now, onto our monitoring update.
In St. Adolphe, Barb was at the Church on the evening of August 13th. At 7:33pm, she saw 1 lone swift approach and circle the chimney, drop, and then veer away, a few times. The swift finally entered the chimney at 7:34pm, slowly and quietly. Barb suggested this may be a migrant. Over an hour later around 8:41pm, a swift exited the chimney, heading east. Here are a few of Barb’s notes: “The Church appeared to be used as a rest stop for over an hour; no local feeding was seen; 2 CHSW accounted for. The small roost (seen July 23rd; comprising the Church family group, helper(s), and other locals/from aways) has now dispersed. The birds are feeding out of the St A airspace during the day now”. Barb also notes that last year, the young at the Church fledged on August 11st, while the young at SE Club Amical and Main St fledged on August 13th. In Barb’s words once again, “It goes to show how variable weather and food supply, thus breeding stages, are year to year”!
In Brandon, the north chimney on the Orange Block building provided some exciting viewing for Louanne, Glennis and Sandy. On August 9th between 8:00pm and 9:29pm, they observed 12 entries and 11 exits by 2 swifts, often entering and exiting at the same time. At the end of the roosting hour, there were 2 swifts confirmed inside the chimney. On August 16th, Glennis, Gwynn, Gillian and Louanne returned to watch the chimney once again. There was lots of action, beginning with a “shaky” entry at 8:13pm, and another entry at 8:22pm. There was 1 exit at 8:25pm, 1 entry at 8:35pm, 1 exit at 8:47pm, 2 entries at 9:00pm (2 swifts “tumbled in one right after the other”), and 1 more entry at 9:05pm. In total, there were 4 swifts confirmed in the chimney. The observers note that the swifts seemed to be a mixture of fledglings and adult birds, based on how they were flying around, and entering/exiting the chimney. Great result after a slow start to the season.
Gerald was at Lower Fort Garry on August 12th, and the swifts did not disappoint here either! At the Men’s House, there 2 entries at 8:09pm, 1 exit at 8:17pm, 2 entries at 8:24pm, 2 entries at 8:29pm, 1 exit at 8:31pm, 2 entries at 8:44pm, 1 exit at 8:45pm, 1 exit at 8:53pm, and 3 entries between 8:57pm and 9:02pm. All this action came out to 7 swifts in the chimney at once, most likely representing a group of fledglings! At the Fur Loft, between 8pm and 9:15pm, there were a whopping 28 entries and 25 exits, with 4 swifts in the chimney by the end of the roosting hour, supporting fledglings at this site. Barb said it well – Gerald may need some neck support after ‘all that amazing whiplash activity’!
Over at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre (SMHC), things have calmed down compared to the hustle and bustle of the last few weeks. On August 10th, Veronica and Cam did some daytime monitoring of the SMHC sites. At T1 and T3, there were swifts spotted in the sky but no entries or exits into the towers. Over at T4, there were no swifts observed at all. On August 14th, the Selkirk Birdwatchers Club monitored the SMHC sites during the roosting hour – Thank you to Linda, Nia, Robert, and Gerald! At the Yellow Brick chimney, there was 1 entry at 8:49pm. At the Infirmary chimney, there were 2 entries at 8:05pm followed by 2 more entries at 8:55pm, for a total of 4 in the chimney by the end of the roosting hour. At T01, there was 1 entry at 8:54pm and another entry at 9:10pm. At T03, there was 1 entry at 8:10pm, followed by another 2 possible entries at 8:50pm. At T04, there was 1 entry at 9:10pm.
On August 9th, Winona watched the Merchant’s Hotel and did not see any activity. On August 14th, Winona watched the Apartments at 367 Main St in Selkirk, and saw 2 entries around 8:56pm. Over at the Lockport bridge, Fred, Nettie, Doug and Tim saw no activity on August 14th during a roosting hour monitoring session.
In Winnipeg, Aynsley monitored Valhalla Gardens on the evening of August 14th and did not see any swift activity.
Priority Site List Update
Time is running out, but here’s the list of priority sites that have yet to be confirmed:
Settlement
Neighbourhood
Location
Site
Observer
Manitou
.
338 Hamilton St
St Andrews United Church
Capped.
Morden
352 Stephen St
Pembina Hills Art Centre
Selkirk
.
420 Main St
Lord Selkirk Hotel
Gerald Machnee
The Pas
.
380 Hazelwood Ave
VIA Rail Station
Wasagaming
106 Buffalo Dr
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
222 York Ave
Brink’s Canada
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
222 York Ave
Brink’s Canada
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
803 Erin St
Elan Designs and Upholstery
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
520 William Ave
Living Gospel Church (east chimney)
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
520 William Ave
Living Gospel Church (west chimney)
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
33 Kennedy St
Lincoln Towers Apartment
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
100 Adelaide St
Immigrant Centre Building
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
348 Assiniboine Ave
Redboine Apartments
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
91 Albert St
The Old Market Autonomous Zone
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
239 Colony St
The Florida
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
East Kildonan/Elmwood
325 Talbot Ave
Riverwood Church Community Firehall
Blair Reid
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
411 Stradbrook Ave
Lancaster Apartment
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
277 River Ave
Royal Oak Court Apartments
Aynsley Woods
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
105 Clarke St
My Place Realty
Marissa Berard
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
272 Cockburn St N
King George Court
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
118 Scott St
Apartment
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
280 River Ave
Moxam Court
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
245 Bell Ave
Children’s Education Funds Inc
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
834 Grosvenor Ave
Eugene Apartments
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
444 River Ave
Augustine United Church
Winnipeg
North End
935 Main St
Ukrainian National Federation
Jon Benson
Winnipeg
North Kildonan
25 Valhalla Dr
Valhalla Gardens
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
465A Lanark St
Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
465D Lanark St
Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
1055 Grant Ave
Grant Wilton Apartments
Aynsley Woods
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
890 McMillan Ave
Milan Apartments
Aynsley Woods
Winnipeg
St Boniface
1310 Archibald St
Niakwa Park Plaza
Blair Reid Frank Machovec
Winnipeg
St Boniface
340 Provencher Blvd
Centre Culturel Franco Manitoba
Blair Reid
Winnipeg
St Boniface
864 Marion St
No. 9 Fire Paramedic Station
Frank Machovec
Winnipeg
St Boniface
847 Marion St
Euro craft office furnishings
Blair Reid
Winnipeg
St Boniface
99 Birchdale Ave
Nordale School
Winnipeg
St James
2160 Portage Ave
Stanley Park Apartments
Amanda Shave
Winnipeg
St James
2150 Portage Ave
Thunderbird Apartments
Amanda Shave
Winnipeg
St James
155 Traill Avenue
Hilton House Apts
Amanda Shave
Winnipeg
St James
2415 Portage Ave
Essex House, pest cage
Winnipeg
St Vital
531 St Mary’s Rd
Riverside Billiards
List updated August 18
Once again, we truly could not do any of this without our incredibly volunteers. It is heartwarming to still be receiving exciting and enthusiastic reports, in August. Thank you! You can reach us at mbchimneyswift@gmail.com – always happy to answer questions, and chat about swifts.
I hope you all had a great long weekend, and an even greater week. The weather continues to keep us on our toes – lots of variation in temperature and humidity. The swifts are still around, and so the monitoring continues.
Frank checked out one of our priority sites, Lanark Gardens (465D Lanark Ave) on the evening of August 4th and though he noted that the chimney was a nice one, he did not see any swift activity. Veronica checked out 118 Scott St (another one of our priority sites) on August 4th and while she did observe some swifts flying above, she did not see any entries or exits into the chimney.
Over in Carman, Rhonda has been watching the chimney at the Town Hall. On August 4th, she saw 2 swifts enter at 1:40pm, and another 2 swifts enter at 1:55pm. At 2:05pm, she saw 1 swift exit. Rhonda returned the next day (August 5th) to watch the chimney again from a better vantage point. She saw 3 swifts enter the chimney at 6:19pm, followed by 1 exit at 6:26pm and another exit at 6:34pm.
Over in Selkirk, Winona watched the Merchant’s Hotel on August 9th and saw no activity. On August 6th, at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre (SMHC), Gerald watched the Infirmary and saw 1 entry/exit at 8:35pm, 1 entry at 9:08pm, 1 entry at 9:22pm followed by 2 entries at 9:29pm. Gerald suspects that the last two entries were by young swifts, as they had been diving and making passes at the chimney until they finally entered. There was also a third swift diving at the chimney, but Gerald did not see this swift enter (he noted that it was very dark at this point, making it difficult to see). Over at T01, there were 2 exits around 8:11pm, followed by 2 entry/exit cycles at 8:25pm and 8:28pm, 1 entry at 8:39pm, another entry/exit at 8:56pm, followed by two final entries. At T02, there was not much activity, except for 1 possible entry observed by Patti and Dennis around 8:37pm. At T03, there was 1 entry/exit around 8:14pm, followed by 1 entry at 9:06pm. On August 7th, Patti and Dennis watched T02 again but did not see any entries/exits. At T04, Nia and Linda observed 1 entry at 8:58pm, and 1 exit and entry at 9:22pm. At the Yellow Brick chimney, 7 swifts entered between 9:11pm and 9:20pm, followed by 2 exits at 9:21pm.
Gerald visited Lower Fort Garry on August 7th. At the Fur Loft, he noted 1 entry at 8:30pm, followed by 1 entry/exit at 8:46pm and 1 more entry at 8:52pm. At the Men’s House, there was lots of feeding activity – between 8:10pm and 8:59pm, there were 7 entry/exit cycles, followed by 1 entry at 9:07pm and another entry at 9:16pm.
Doug watched the bridge in Lockport on August 10th and saw no activity, though the weather was quite rainy which may have impacted the swifts’ behaviour.
Priority Site List Update
Here’s an updated list of priority sites that still need to be confirmed:
Settlement
Neighbourhood
Location
Site
Observer
Manitou
.
338 Hamilton St
St Andrews United Church
Capped.
Morden
352 Stephen St
Pembina Hills Art Centre
Selkirk
.
420 Main St
Lord Selkirk Hotel
Gerald Machnee
The Pas
.
380 Hazelwood Ave
VIA Rail Station
Wasagaming
106 Buffalo Dr
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
222 York Ave
Brink’s Canada
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
222 York Ave
Brink’s Canada
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
803 Erin St
Elan Designs and Upholstery
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
520 William Ave
Living Gospel Church (east chimney)
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
520 William Ave
Living Gospel Church (west chimney)
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
33 Kennedy St
Lincoln Towers Apartment
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
100 Adelaide St
Immigrant Centre Building
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
348 Assiniboine Ave
Redboine Apartments
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
91 Albert St
The Old Market Autonomous Zone
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
239 Colony St
The Florida
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
East Kildonan/Elmwood
325 Talbot Ave
Riverwood Church Community Firehall
Blair Reid
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
411 Stradbrook Ave
Lancaster Apartment
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
277 River Ave
Royal Oak Court Apartments
Aynsley Woods
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
105 Clarke St
My Place Realty
Marissa Berard
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
272 Cockburn St N
King George Court
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
118 Scott St
Apartment
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
280 River Ave
Moxam Court
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
245 Bell Ave
Children’s Education Funds Inc
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
834 Grosvenor Ave
Eugene Apartments
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
444 River Ave
Augustine United Church
Winnipeg
North End
935 Main St
Ukrainian National Federation
Jon Benson
Winnipeg
North Kildonan
25 Valhalla Dr
Valhalla Gardens
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
465A Lanark St
Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
465D Lanark St
Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
1055 Grant Ave
Grant Wilton Apartments
Aynsley Woods
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
890 McMillan Ave
Milan Apartments
Aynsley Woods
Winnipeg
St Boniface
1310 Archibald St
Niakwa Park Plaza
Blair Reid Frank Machovec
Winnipeg
St Boniface
340 Provencher Blvd
Centre Culturel Franco Manitoba
Blair Reid
Winnipeg
St Boniface
864 Marion St
No. 9 Fire Paramedic Station
Frank Machovec
Winnipeg
St Boniface
847 Marion St
Euro craft office furnishings
Blair Reid
Winnipeg
St Boniface
99 Birchdale Ave
Nordale School
Winnipeg
St James
2160 Portage Ave
Stanley Park Apartments
Amanda Shave
Winnipeg
St James
2150 Portage Ave
Thunderbird Apartments
Amanda Shave
Winnipeg
St James
155 Traill Avenue
Hilton House Apts
Amanda Shave
Winnipeg
St James
2415 Portage Ave
Essex House, pest cage
Winnipeg
St Vital
531 St Mary’s Rd
Riverside Billiards
Updated August 11, 2023
Thanks everyone for the continued effort and enthusiasm! Keep sending us those swift reports.
Wow, can you believe it’s August already? Time continues to fly-on by, as do the swifts… Based on the different reports we’ve received, many sites have already fledged while some are still feeding young. Read on to see what the swifts (and the swift monitors) have been up to around the province lately. As usual, we’ve also got an updated priority site list (which continues to get shorter, thanks to you incredible folks)!
Winnipeg
Let’s start with a priority list update. Both Carla and Amanda checked out the Essex House (2415 Portage Ave) this week, which is on our priority site list. Unfortunately, no swift activity to report. Katharine visited Grant Wilton Apartments (1055 Grant Ave) on July 31 and did not see any swifts use the chimney. However, Aynsley monitored this site on August 1st and saw 1 swift exit! Goes to show that just because swifts did not use a chimney on a given night, doesn’t mean that they are not using that chimney. Aynsley then moved to Milan Apartments (890 McMillan Ave) and saw 2 swifts using that chimney as well. On August 3rd, a few of us did a last-minute ‘blitz’ of a few priority sites during the roosting hour. I (Marissa) watched the apartment building at 105 Clarke St and saw 3 swifts enter at 9:22pm. Jon started at 222 York Ave but wasn’t seeing any swifts in the area so chose to move to the Ukrainian National Federation (935 Main St), where he observed 2 entry/exit cycles at 9:12pm and 9:14pm, followed by 2 entries at 9:20pm and 9:22pm. Amanda watched Eugene Apartments (834 Grosvenor Ave) and while she did see up to 22 swifts flying together in the area, she did not see any swifts enter/exit the chimney. Aynsley began watching Lancaster Apartments (411 Stradbrook Ave) and later moved to 245 Bell Ave, and unfortunately did not see any activity at either site.
Two new swift sites have been discovered in Winnipeg! Tim Poole found 2 swifts entering the chimney at St. George School (151 George St) on July 25th. While in the area, he also noticed some swifts near another candidate chimney at Fernwood Apartments (314 St Anne’s Rd). Frank visited Fernwood Apartments to further investigate on July 31, and saw 14 entries and 2 exits, with up to 12 swifts in the chimney at once! Always exciting to add sites to our database.
On August 2nd, Tim, Aynsley, Marissa, Veronica and Cam were visiting different chimneys in Osborne Village and saw 1 swift exit the chimney at 375 Stradbrook Ave.
Blair has been busy in the St. Boniface and East Kildonan areas. Visits to 847 Marion St on July 25th, 188 Nelson McIntyre Collegiate (188 St Mary’s Rd) on July 26th, the No. 9 Fire Paramedic Station (864 Marion St) on July 29th, and the Riverwood Church Community Firehall (325 Talbot Ave) on July 30th all resulted in no swift activity observed. Some sites did have activity, however. On July 27th during the roosting hour, Blair visited Kaljieb Electrics (690 St Joseph St) and saw lots of activity, including 10 entries and 5 exits and a maximum of 5 swifts confirmed in the chimney at once. Blair mentioned it looked like a family of 5 swifts, with 3 fledglings. On July 28th during the roosting hour at Springs Christian Academy (261 Youville St), Blair observed 3 entry/exit cycles followed by 2 entries at 9:27pm for a maximum of 2 swifts in the chimney at once. On August 1st during the roosting hour, Blair visited Niakwa Park Plaza (1310 Archibald St) and saw 1 entry/exit cycle at 8:55 pm, followed by another entry at 9:03pm for a total of 1 swift observed in the chimney.
Ariel visited the Assiniboine School (175 Winston Rd) on June 27th, and saw 2 swifts enter the chimney which is a known roost site. On July 18, she visited River Manor Apartments (424 River Ave), another one of our roost sites, and observed 90 swifts enter the chimney during the roosting hour.
On July 28th, Garry visited his usual site at 722 Watt St for a roosting hour monitoring session. There was lots of activity! Throughout the 61 minutes that he was there, there were 5 entries and 3 exits, with 3 swifts confirmed to be in the chimney at once.
Dauphin
On August 2nd, Ken and the rest of the Dauphin crew did a site-wide roosting hour monitoring session, covering all known Dauphin chimneys. They found that each chimney was still in use with up to 2 birds at each site and around 10 at the roost chimney. Ken once again mentioned the noticeable lack of insects around Dauphin, which rings true in Winnipeg as well.
Brandon
On July 26th, Sandy, Glennis and Louanne monitored the Orange Block. They observed 1 exit at 8:42pm, followed by 4 entry/exit cycles between 8:57 pm and 9:17 pm, followed by 2 entries at 9:31pm. On August 2nd at this same chimney, they observed 6 entry/exits cycles by 1 swift between 8:25pm and 9:19pm, followed by 2 swifts entering around 9:19pm, followed by 2 swifts exiting around 9:22pm, and finally 2 swifts entering for the evening at 9:33pm. While this site had limited activity earlier in the year, it does appear that feeding is happening.
St. Adolphe
Barb and Rob remain very busy keeping an eye on things in St. Adolphe. On July 21st, there was no use of both chimneys at Club Amical and low activity at the Daycare. The Church however, was a lot busier – the young which would have been at least 22 days of age at this point according to Barb, were fed ten times during the hour and a helper was present. Barb monitored again on July 23rd, briefly enduring a downpour. There was no activity again at the Daycare, but once the rain stopped, 3 swifts exited the chimney (one of them is helper). 1 swift entered/exit 23 minutes later, and then 2 swifts entered/exited later a few minutes later. Over at Main St, Barb saw a quick entry/exit feeding visit.
On July 30th, Rob and Barb did a roosting hour watch at the Church, and counted 8 swifts entering the chimney for the night. Barb noticed some variety in how the different swifts were entering the chimney. She writes: “A few minutes after sunset a single bird arrived; low, really batlike wing flapping and it raised itself up to the elevation of the rim and plopped in. Then another swift arrived with the same style. We think those were fledglings. As the dark descended smaller groups of 4-6 swifts came whipping in and around the chimney – totally masked at times by flying close to the black roof. Ugh. That was hard to count. We had a couple of birds that repeated tight circling low to the rim before dropping in. We also had 3 absolutely bullet-like confident approaches at higher altitudes and fast entries. They resembled entries I’ve seen all summer long by the attending adults. With the three entry styles involved, we feel that there are fledglings (2 for sure, likely 3), three adults = parents/helper, and some “roosters” involved.” A great reminder that taking note of how swifts approach and enter the chimney can give us some information on their age and experience!
On July 31st, Barb returned to the Main St site for a daytime visit, and noticed that the young had fledged. After another visit the next day, Barb reported that ‘the Main St fledglings were flying low over their natal site but no entries/exits were seen’. She went back on August 2nd and once again did not see entries/exits. Great to know the fledglings at both the Main St and Church sites are out in the world!
Lockport
On August 2nd at the St Andrews Lock and Dam Maintenance Compound in Lockport, Fred, Nettie and Doug observed 1 entry at 8:45pm, 1 exit at 8:50pm, and another entry at 9:10pm all in the south chimney. There was no swift activity in the north chimney.
Lower Fort Garry
Gerald visited Lower Fort Garry on August 1st for a roosting hour check. At the Men’s House, he observed 7 entry/exit cycles, followed by 2 entries at 9:07pm and 2 exits at 9:11pm, followed by 2 final entries. At the Fur Loft, he observed 3 entry/exit cycles, followed by 2 final entries. It seems that feeding is still happening at both chimneys.
Selkirk
On July 27th, Tim, Cam and Veronica did a daytime check of the Selkirk Mental Health Centre (SMHC) sites. At T01, Tim observed 3 entry/exits by 1 swift between 11:28am and 11:52 am. At T02, Tim observed an entry/exit around 11:59am and 2 entries followed by 2 exits between 12:34pm and 12:37pm. At T03, Cam did not see any entry/exits during his hour of monitoring beginning at 11:16am, but did catch 1 exit later on at 1:08pm. Cam also watched T04 and observed 2 entries and 1 exit (with 1 swift in chimney at once). Veronica watched the Yellow Brick chimney and observed 2 swifts entering together, followed by 2 swifts exiting together, followed by an entry/exit by 1 swift. At the Infirmary chimney, Veronica observed 4 entries and 3 exits, within approximately 30 minutes, with up to 2 swifts in the chimney at once.
On July 31, the six SMHC sites were monitored again, this time during the roosting hour by the Selkirk Birdwatchers Club. The Selkirk Birdwatchers Club have been monitoring these sites weekly all summer – impressive! Each site continued to be active. Over at T01, Winona and Gerald 3 entry/exit cycles between 8:14pm and 8:51pm, followed by a final entry at 9:05pm. At T02, Patti and Dennis observed 1 entry at 9:05pm, followed by another entry/exit at 9:07pm. At 9:21pm, 2 swifts entered (though 1 swift took 2 attempts to successfully enter the chimney). At 9:24pm there were another 2 entries, a possible exit at 9:27 pm and a final entry at 9:30pm. A total of 5 swifts (presumably some fledglings included) were confirmed in the chimney at once! At T03, Gerald observed 1 entry at 8:31pm, 1 exit at 8:58pm, and another entry at 9:14pm. Over at T04, Nia and Linda observed 4 entries and 2 exits, with a total of 3 swifts in the chimney. Nia and Linda also watched the Yellow Brick chimney and observed 6 entries and 4 exits, with up to 3 swifts in the chimney at once. Finally, at the Infirmary chimney, Gerald observed 8 entries and 7 exits, with up to 3 swifts in the chimney at once. Busy busy! Also in Selkirk, Winona visited the Merchant’s Hotel (383 Eveline St) on July 30th and observed 2 entries at 9:24pm. On August 1st, Winona monitored the apartment building at 367 Main St and saw 2 entries around 9:07pm
Steinbach
Barb and Rob stopped by Bethesda Hospital in Steinbach on July 26th for a quick scan, and did not see any swifts during the 10 minutes that they were there.
La Broquerie
Frank checked out La Broquerie on July 27th, and noticed that the swifts were behaving differently than in previous years: “During the monitoring period, no CHSW were seen foraging in the vicinity of the church. Usually, there is some (and occasionally lots of) activity around the church before entries into the chimneys”. Frank observed 3 swifts enter the smaller chimney, and 2 swifts enter the larger chimney.
Priority Site List Update
Here’s an updated list of priority sites that still need to be confirmed:
The weather continues to keep us on our toes… Extreme heat, thunderstorms, hail, etc.! This summer is full of surprises. Shoutout to our incredible volunteers for still managing to find opportunities to monitor, despite the unpredictable weather! Stay safe out there – that is always the number one priority.
This week, I am excited to report that we have crossed off another FIVE sites off our priority list! Woohoo. There are still many still left to confirm, and thankfully the season isn’t over yet! If you’d like to get involved, take a look at our site list at the end of this blog post, pick a site or two and go check it out at any time of day that works for you. All it takes is a confirmed entry or exit in the chimney to confirm that swifts are using the site – no minimum monitoring duration required.
First off, Amanda monitored the Stanley Park Apartments (2160 Portage Ave), on July 21. About 10 minutes into her monitoring session and just as a storm was brewing, she saw a swift enter into the chimney. Boom, confirmed.
On July 25, Tim briefly stopped by the Living Gospel Church which has two chimneys (both on the priority site list). He saw 2 entry/exits cycles within 20 minutes at the east chimney, but saw no entries/exits into the west chimney. We can take the east chimney off our list, but the west chimney remains to be confirmed.
On July 28, Tim spent some time visiting priority sites around downtown Winnipeg. He was able to confirm swifts at three additional sites on our priority list: Redboine Apartments (348 Assiniboine Ave), Lincoln Towers Apartment (33 Kennedy St), and The Florida (239 Colony St).
Here’s an updated list of priority sites that still need to be confirmed:
Settlement
Neighbourhood
Location
Site
Observer
Manitou
.
338 Hamilton St
St Andrews United Church
Capped.
Morden
352 Stephen St
Pembina Hills Art Centre
Selkirk
.
420 Main St
Lord Selkirk Hotel
Gerald Machnee
The Pas
.
380 Hazelwood Ave
VIA Rail Station
Wasagaming
106 Buffalo Dr
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
222 York Ave
Brink’s Canada
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
222 York Ave
Brink’s Canada
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
803 Erin St
Elan Designs and Upholstery
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
520 William Ave
Living Gospel Church (east chimney)
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
520 William Ave
Living Gospel Church (west chimney)
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
33 Kennedy St
Lincoln Towers Apartment
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
100 Adelaide St
Immigrant Centre Building
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
348 Assiniboine Ave
Redboine Apartments
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
91 Albert Str
The Old Market Autonomous Zone
Winnipeg
Daniel McIntyre
239 Colony St
The Florida
Tim Poole
Winnipeg
East Kildonan/Elmwood
325 Talbot Ave
Riverwood Church Community Firehall
Blair Reid
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
411 Stradbrook Ave
Lancaster Apartment
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
277 River Ave
Royal Oak Court Apartments
Aynsley Woods
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
105 Clarke St
My Place Realty
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
272 Cockburn St
King George Court
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
118 Scott St
Apartment
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
280 River Ave
Moxam Court
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
245 Bell Ave
Children’s Education Funds Inc
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
834 Grosvenor Ave
Eugene Apartments
Winnipeg
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
444 River Ave
Augustine United Church
Winnipeg
North End
935 Main St
Ukrainian National Federation
Winnipeg
North Kildonan
25 Valhalla Dr
Valhalla Gardens
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
465A Lanark St
Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
465D Lanark St
Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
1055 Grant Ave
Grant Wilton Apartments
Winnipeg
River Heights/Fort Garry
890 McMillan Ave
Milan Apartments
Winnipeg
St Boniface
1310 Archibald St
Niakwa Park Plaza
Blair Reid Frank Machovec
Winnipeg
St Boniface
340 Provencher Blvd
Centre Culturel Franco Manitoba
Blair Reid
Winnipeg
St Boniface
864 Marion St
No. 9 Fire Paramedic Station
Frank Machovec
Winnipeg
St Boniface
847 Marion St
Euro craft office furnishings
Blair Reid
Winnipeg
St Boniface
99 Birchdale Ave
Nordale School
Winnipeg
St James
2160 Portage Ave
Stanley Park Apartments
Amanda Shave
Winnipeg
St James
2150 Portage Ave
Thunderbird Apartments
Amanda Shave
Winnipeg
St James
155 Traill Avenue
Hilton House Apts
Amanda Shave
Winnipeg
St James
2415 Portage Ave
Essex House, pest cage
Winnipeg
St Vital
531 St Mary’s Rd
Riverside Billiards
posted July 28, 2023
Stay tuned for next week’s blog for a complete monitoring update, including updates on the nesting activity at SMHC and St. Adolphe. As always, please send us an email at mbchimneyswift@gmail.com if you’ve got any questions or comments.
