Author: mbchimneyswift@gmail.com

Hello everyone! I hope you’re all staying warm during this very chilly December. I wanted to make sure we wrapped up the 2025 Chimney Swift season before the New Year is upon us! One of my first tasks as MCSI coordinator has been to summarize this year’s data and I don’t think there could have been a better way for me to learn about the important sites across the province, and of course, the wonderful volunteers who dedicated so much time to monitoring in 2025!

This year we had over 95 volunteers monitor a total of 129 sites across Manitoba. We truly couldn’t run this program without you, so thank you for your time, your energy and your dedication to helping us learn more about Chimney Swifts in Manitoba. I’m looking forward to getting to know many of you during the 2026 monitoring season! 

We’re always looking for feedback on your volunteer experience, what you liked, what you didn’t like, and any suggestions for us to improve. We have a volunteer feedback form at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdlf7TgS8z9STs6lN6MHcjXtFhNtCOpIhTsHh8jzv31ZImLhg/viewform?usp=publish-editor You can leave your submissions anonymously or give us your name, whatever you’re most comfortable with! You can also email us with feedback at any time at mbchimneyswift@gmail.com

The Conclusion to the Infirmary Swift Saga

Before we get into the overall recap for 2025, I wanted to share the ending to the Infirmary swift story. Due to the coordinator changeover happening on our end, we left you on a bit of a cliffhanger. To recap: Dennis and Patti did an awesome job of keeping an eye on the Infirmary Chimney at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre well into September, hoping to catch a glimpse of fledglings. By their last monitoring session on September 14, there had been no sign of young swifts, and the adults had left for the season. At that point, we were unsure whether the nest had been a success, and the fledglings snuck away, or if it had failed.

On September 25, Tim, Marissa, Kristine, Gerald, and several members of the Selkirk Birdwatchers Club completed the cleanout inspection of the Infirmary Chimney and all four towers at the SMHC. Results of the cleanout showed there were 2 successful breeding attempts, two breeding attempts that failed early in the season, and one that failed right at the very end. Here’s the summary from Tim:

Infirmary chimney – site hosted a large roost of 20 odd birds this year, so the guano pile was larger than usual. We pulled out parts of a broken nest. We were able to do a good inspection of the wall via a strong flashlight, mirror, and cameras and could not detect a nest on the wall, so presumably the broken nest on the ground was the nest used. Overall, there were enough eggshells for 5 eggs. These were interesting though. Around half (2-3 eggs) were very white, and half (2-3 eggs) were filthy dirty and dug out of the guano. It was as if a first nest had failed after hatching BUT we have no evidence to support that from monitoring, just a hunch. The second attempt was very late and failed around September 10th from the monitoring. That date was also around the time I had estimated that the birds should fledge. We pulled out three carcasses. One was larger and more decomposed – clearly an adult had died in the chimney earlier in the summer. Two others were almost fully grown, but the wings were clearly shorter than the adult. So sadly, there was a very, very late mortality of the two chicks just as they were due to take flight.

T1 Tower – the nest was down on the ground. That said, this was the fourth year and the fifth breeding attempt in that nest. 4-5 eggs all hatched, no carcasses. There were at least fledglings in a photo pulled from the camera inside the tower. 

T2 Tower – had fledged, 5 eggs all hatched, no carcasses.

T3 Tower – ugh, this one is a doozy! 3-4 eggs all hatched, no carcass. Nest had fallen. Monitoring indicated early failure. The lens got gunked at some point so the photos became blurry. However, the photos were clear enough to show that the nest was on the wall on the morning of July 20th. However, at 7am there were two swifts (brooding?) at once. Later at 7:43am there was no nest on the wall. It had collapsed! Was this a switch over gone wrong or something else? After that there are still photos of swifts on the nest spot, suggesting a very strong fidelity for that spot (fledglings from 2024 maybe?).

T4 Tower – nest from 2024 had fallen (it was hanging off the wall in the spring). New nest on the wall on the west wall. You can see from the scarring that the nest was exactly the same height as the previous one but on a different wall. 4-5 eggs all hatched, no carcasses but monitoring indicated failure early on.

A sad ending to the Infirmary story, but as Tim said, “even with less than 50% success it still turned out to be an interesting year!”

2025 Monitoring Summary

With the Selkirk update out of the way, we can move on to what I know you’ve all been waiting for: the season summary. You can now find the updated MCSI Roost and Nest site database at https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/Documents/2025_data_summary.pdf. This document summarizes the peak Chimney Swift count (and the date on which it occurred) at each monitored site, and indicates whether each site was used as a roost or nest, based on the monitoring data available. This document also indicates if a nesting attempt was a success or a failure (if known). 

Here are some highlights:

• We monitored 129 sites in 19 communities across Manitoba

• We confirmed the use of five new sites, all located in Winnipeg: the Manitoba MétisFederation Tower at 385 Henderson Hwy, St Edward the Confessor Church at 836 Arlington, a private residence on Maplewood Ave, Billy Mosienko Lanes at 1136 Main St, and a private residence on Hosmer Blvd.

• We confirmed the use of swifts at 14 sites on our priority list

• 95+ volunteers participated in our monitoring program, often in less than ideal hot and smokey weather conditions

• Historic first observation of a swift using a first-generation tower in St. Adolphe

We started the season with our second annual volunteer appreciation and kick-off event at Assiniboine Park on May 14, with a great turnout of around 30 people. It was a great way to kick off the season with some learning, some great food and prizes, and a group swift watch at the Assiniboine Park Zoo Tower.

As usual, we participated in the National Chimney Swift Roost Survey (frequently referred to as NRMP). This year, the NRMP nights took place on May 21, May 25, May 29, and June 2. By monitoring on these nights (with a focus on sites that host high counts of roosting swifts), we are able to contribute Manitoba data to this national effort. If you’re curious to learn more about this national program, you can visit the following webpage: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/bird-surveys/volunteers/national-chimney-swift-roost-survey-protocol.html On that webpage (in Appendix 3), you can find the annual dates for the 4 spring monitoring nights until 2031.  

This year, we also organized monthly monitoring blitzes. Our blitzes took place on June 18, July 16, and August 19. While the spring NRMP nights are useful to know if a site is being used as a spring roost by swifts, we can’t necessarily tell that early on if a site will be used for a nesting attempt throughout the summer. These additional monitoring nights provided us with more information on when, where and how swifts use different sites.  

Volunteers were free to monitor whenever worked for them throughout the season, whether that was on scheduled NRMP nights and/or monthly blitzes, or on different days if they were available. Some volunteers regularly monitored the same site, while others visited a variety of different sites to check for swift presence. 

Thank you once again to our incredible network of volunteers. 

I’d also like to extend a big thank you to the MCSI Steering Committee for their ongoing support: 

Tim Poole, Barb Stewart, Rob Stewart, Frank Machovec, Christian Artuso, Lewis Cocks, Nicole Firlotte, Joanne Tuckwell, Ron Bazin, Ken De Smet, Stephen Petersen, Meredith Stoesz, and Kristin Mozel 

To finish off this marathon of a season recap, I wanted to include the following message and illustration from Barb nicely summing up the importance of the work we all do here at MCSI: 

An extra piece??? Usually, tabletop puzzles have missing pieces ~ ones that slip under the edge of a table mat or fall quietly on a carpet where the dog can enjoy eating them. But sometimes an extra piece creeps into the mix to challenge our problem-solving skill set. 

Working with Chimney Swifts is an exercise in decoding a puzzle of sorts. A huge and complicated puzzle! By monitoring the birds, we patiently gather puzzle pieces and then try to fit them together. We reflect on patterns, edges (limits) and perspectives to frame the big picture. As time passes and the puzzle infilling continues, our understanding and knowledge of Chimney Swift biology in Manitoba deepens. Unlike finishing a tabletop puzzle, there seems to be no endpoint to understanding the complexities of Chimney Swift life. Those darn birds keep showing us intriguing insights that draw us into more rounds of puzzle solving. 

Each and every puzzle piece generated by a volunteer monitor, who stares expectantly at a chimney rim, is a valuable component of the ongoing MCSI habitat stewardship, outreach and research programs. As the festive season transitions to a New Year, one to be filled with new chimney-side experiences, here’s a big shout out of appreciation to the volunteers who make MCSI such a success! 

In 2026, our amazing volunteers will begin the 20th season of monitoring Chimney Swifts in Manitoba. 

All of us at MCSI look forward to having you be part of that! 

Thank you all again for an excellent season, I can’t wait to be a part of it in 2026. Wishing all of you a restful holiday seasonand a very happy New Year!

Mackenzie

Introducing the New MCSI Coordinator

Hi everyone! My name is Mackenzie Glover (she/her) and I’m very excited to start as the new coordinator for the Manitoba Important Bird Area (IBA) Program and the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative (MCSI). I’m grateful to have had some overlap with Marissa before her last day as coordinator, she’s done so much for this program and I’m looking forward to picking up where she left off! I recently moved back home to Winnipeg, and I’m excited to continue to learn about Manitoba’s birds and make new connections with fellow nature lovers through this role.

I first fell in love with the outdoors as a kid, spending summers at my family’s cabin in the Whiteshell. That love inspired me to pursue my BSc degree in Environmental Sciences with a focus on Forest Ecology at North Carolina State University, where I was also a varsity student-athlete. After graduating, I moved home to Winnipeg for a year and worked as a Conservation Technician with Native Plant Solutions, before moving out west to continue my education. I pursued an MSc in Ecological Restoration from Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and completed my thesis in partnership with Native Plant Solutions, focusing on the native bees using their sites in Winnipeg.

I first started working with birds after my MSc, when I worked for a small consulting company called Inlailawatash, based in North Vancouver and owned by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. I conducted nesting bird surveys and helped collect acoustic data for a research project on nocturnal birds and bats in the Indian River Watershed. My favourite days at Inlailawatash were the ones that started with an early morning bird survey!

Autonomous Recording Units deployed next to the Indian River. Photo by Mackenzie Glover

After 2 years with Inlailawatash, I decided it was time to move back home to Winnipeg to be closer to family. I’m very much looking forward to experiencing a real Winnipeg winter again, complete with cross country skiing, winter running, and skating on the Nestaweya River Trail.

Although I’m relatively new to the world of birding, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for birds, with my favourite being the White-throated Sparrow. Their beautiful song is often heard on summer mornings at the lake, and I was shocked when I first heard it singing in the winter in North Carolina. As a homesick freshman, hearing their song instantly transported me back to summer at my favourite place.

I’m excited to step into this role and I’m looking forward to meeting many of you at future MCSI events!

Hello MCSI volunteers,

As some of you may have heard, after three years as IBA & MCSI Program Coordinator, I (Marissa) am moving on to new opportunities. I will be leaving the program in the very capable hands of Mackenzie Glover, the new IBA & MCSI Program Coordinator.

We would like to invite you all to join us on Tuesday, December 2 from 6-8pm at the Riverview Community Centre (90 Ashland Ave) in Winnipeg for some pizza, refreshments, desserts, and some door prizes. This gathering will serve as a “farewell” party for me as well as an opportunity to meet and welcome Mackenzie to the programs. We also want to take the opportunity to celebrate all the incredible volunteers who helped make the IBA and MCSI field seasons a success! We couldn’t do it without you.

Please RSVP here on Eventbrite, so we have an idea of numbers: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/iba-mcsi-farewell-to-marissa-volunteer-appreciation-night-tickets-1969887868643?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

I have really enjoyed my time with the IBA & MCSI programs. One of my favourite parts of the role was getting to meet and work with so many awesome volunteers. I am very grateful to have had this experience. Thank you again for all your kindness and support over the years!

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Cheers,

Marissa

CHIMNEY SWIFT NESTING OUTCOMES IN ST ADOLPHE, MB, 2025

~ The Smokie Skies and Stealthy Swifts on the Fly Edition ~

Prepared by Barb Stewart

The annual monitoring report from St Adolphe is taking on new dimensions this year. It was a summer of record-breaking weather and record-breaking swift activity. Here is a summary of the St Adolphe Chimney Swifts’ remarkable breeding season.

RECORD-BREAKING WEATHER – WILDFIRE SMOKE AND HEAT. In the summer of 2025, records for wildfire smoke reducing air quality and scorching heat were shattered (e.g., https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-wildfire-smoke-record-environment-canada-1.7600812 ; https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-weather-may-heat-record-1.7533172 ). Those conditions impacted Chimney Swifts and their monitors. Here’s a note from a July 29 monitoring sheet: “Air Quality = 10+; the smoke is thick and on the deck; have not see swifts in the air from the Club or at the Church area; have only seen the birds associated with events in and out of the SE Club chimney.” Typical Chimney Swift activity patterns were altered during wildfire smoke and heat events. Often, adult swifts were not seen feeding or socializing locally and they were feeding their young less frequently than expected. A one-hour shift normally would include several feeding exchanges for non-brooded juveniles and that wasn’t always happening. Using conventional standards for monitoring did not capture the real situation that was unfolding inside the chimney. Under these circumstances, more frequent and lengthier monitoring sessions may be advantageous, but it is also a challenge for monitors to be subjected to wildfire smoke and heat.

RECORD-BREAKING SWIFT ACTIVITY. On July 29, 2025 at 10:37 AM, I was moving from the Club Amical to the Church. As noted above, thick, irritating wildfire smoke hung low. It had been a difficult morning for swift monitors and swifts trying to feed. While heading east on the driveway leading to The Tower, which is situated in the Paroisse St Adolphe Parish Church field, an adult swift was seen to fly over The Tower, circle to the east, return low over the rim and drop in. WOW! At 10:54 AM, another swift buzzed the rim as it flew south. Then a similar unhesitant flare ‘n’ drop adult entry occurred at 10:55 AM. Importantly, 2 adults left together ~1 minute later. The swifts were able to safely exit The Tower. I’M GOBSMACKED! The first observations of Chimney Swifts using one of the five MCSI-built original style 12’ towers had been made. After 17 years, without any observations of 12’ tower use, why did those swifts decide that The Tower was now an attractive site? And just where did they arrive from?

Stealthy Swifts were in action so it was time to get eyes focussed on the rim! Tim Poole followed up with a daytime observation on August 10, then Barb Stewart and Frank Machovec & Jacquie Machovec carried on with daytime observations. Lewis Cocks and Frank monitored on the evening of August 12 and noted 3 swifts using The Tower during the daytime preceding the roosting hour when 6 adults entered for the night. Tim and Linnea Poole monitored during the evening of August 16 and likely observed 2 fledglings using The Tower; 5 swifts roosted.

See MCSI Blogs: “An Update and A Surprise!”, Aug. 4; “Early August Recap”, Aug. 11; “Mid-August Updates”, Aug. 18; “End of August Recap”, Aug. 25.

( https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/news-and-posts/ )

The fledgling plot thickened on September 17 when the St Adolphe ground crew assembled to observe contents inside The Tower. Physical evidence confirmed Chimney Swift use of The Tower. An entire nest had dropped to The Tower floor in the northwest corner; dark ½ egg shells equivalent to 4-5 hatched eggs were seen in that location. Moreover, there was an intact nest attached to the south wall of The Tower ~ below it was evidence of a more recent nesting attempt = whiter eggs: 1 unhatched and 2 hatched. No carcasses were seen. Chimney Swifts had successfully used The Tower as a nest site in both 2024 and 2025!

BACKING UP TO 2024 FOR A POSSIBLE PIVOT POINT. Maybe the arrival of The Swarm of from-away swifts at the Church in July 2024 was pivotal in the colonization of The Tower that year. Perhaps a variation of a Kansas City Shuffle was playing out = the swifts had us looking at the novel Church activity while some real stealth action was happening behind our backs at The Tower!

To refresh your memory, here is an excerpt from Marissa’s July 26, 2024 blog

( https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/2024/07/ ):

“However, there was a noticeable change in swift numbers in St Adolphe on July 19. While monitoring the Church site, Barb saw a group of about 16-17 swifts which is a higher count than has been accounted for this year. She has dubbed this group of swifts “The Swarm”. She knows they are adults (and not fledglings from the local nest sites) because of the easy-to-see moulting happening in the wings. She describes “big gaps in the trailing wing margin plus very frayed wing tips”. It’s the time of year when adult swifts are replacing their feathers, while fledglings will have brand new feathers that aren’t yet in need of replacing.

This new influx of adults must be a “pre-migratory grouping” – swifts that have arrived into St. Adolphe, on their way out of the breeding grounds and towards their wintering grounds down south. This pre-migratory grouping is noteworthy because of how early it is – the local nest site has not even fledged yet. Very interesting!

“The Swarm” brought some drama. On July 20, Barb was monitoring the Church and saw some typical feeding exchanges and the usual count of 3 swifts entering and exiting (breeding pair + helper). However, “The Swarm” then arrived, with a lot of low-level flyovers and “peer ‘n’ veers” at the chimney. They then began entering the chimney! She saw 12 consecutive entries within 90 seconds. Over the next 8 minutes, she counted 19 consecutive exits. This mass use of a chimney with an ongoing breeding attempt, by non-breeding swifts during the daytime, is an unprecedented observation for Barb and was certainly worrying – how might this impact the breeding pair + helper + young that have yet to fledge? A monitoring session on Sunday with a lack of typical feeding patterns led Barb to fear a nest failure.  

On July 24, Barb completed 3 monitoring sessions to try and understand what was happening here. Here is her executive summary:

“Session 1 – 05:20 to 7:20 AM: three birds were accounted for; max seen was 2 exiting the Church chimney together; the activity pattern included three consecutive entries and three consecutive exits, suggesting that the breeding pair and helper were onsite feeding. Some juveniles have survived.

Session 2 – 10:20 to 12:00 noon: The Swarm was active – 13+ swifts were accounted for; Drop ‘n’ veer, tilt ‘n’ veer flyovers etc. telegraphed interest with something(s) inside the chimney; small groups of 3-4 dropped into the chimney from the swarm and exited into the swarm. Single entry/exits took place = likely feeding events but the swarm activity tends to mask this.

Session 3 – 8:36-8:52 PM (daytime) then 8:52-9:52 PM (roosting hour; sunset 9:22 PM): single entry/exits during the daytime. Roosting entries began at 9 PM – the total for the night =14! Rob was instrumental in doing sky counts as I did rim watching…our “swifts in + sky counts” totalled 14 during the roosting hour, so we feel confident all the birds flying about roosted in the Church.”.

And a summary of swift count timeline: “The baseline count in St A was 12 before the influx of from-away birds on July 19th; the peak count was 19 last weekend; yesterday the max count was 14, so 5 swifts have shuffled along. There are at least 3 ST A birds still in town = breeding pair and helper. The other 11 could be some combo of St A swifts + from-aways.” This situation is fascinating and unprecedented…”

THE TOWER HISTORY. The original St Adolphe tower was completed by mason Tony Smith on June 7, 2008. Situated at the Old Ferry Site (RM of Ritchot property due north of the Main St home then owned by Arthur & Suzanne Leclerc), the open topped, cinder block 12’ tower was made using Kyle & Kyle specifications. This design is used very successfully by swifts in the southern US (see link to the Kyle’s book in https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/chimney-swift-towers/). No interest was paid to the tower by the St Adolphe Chimney Swifts. Investigations showed the tower had poor thermal stability and was soaked internally by heavy rains, so it seemed unsuitable as a Manitoba nest site. The tower base started to sink in one corner and it was discovered to have been put over an old drainage conduit that was used historically to drain wastewater from the Church and adjacent Convent to the Red River. Bob Stefaniuk, then Reeve of the RM of Ritchot, sponsored the lifting and relocation of the tower in 2010. A first attempt to move the tower, made by Dan Ross on October 18, resulted in the deflation of a very expensive tire on the John Deere TC44H wheel loader. A new tire supported the next fork lift attempt on October 20. Paul Dumont, aided by Louis Rouire, picked up the tower and gingerly drove it across the road. The new site at the Church field, owned by the Paroisse St Adolphe Parish, was chosen by parishioners Hubert Brodeur and Auguste Lagasse. Parishioner Leon Verhaeghe assisted with preparing/leveling the pad and constructing the retaining wall. Mason Bill Anderson, and assistant Randy, added a new brick exterior to the tower November 3-6, 2010 with the goal to improve thermal stability. A sun/rain shield (made to Kyle specifications) and redesigned cleanout trap panels to improve air flow were built by Rob Stewart and installed on May 26, 2011 by Auguste Lagasse, Frank Machovec, Jacquie Machovec, Barb Stewart, Rob Stewart, Ryan Stewart and Leon Verhaeghe (see “Renovations at Swift Tower”, May 29, 2011; https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/2011/05/). The final landscaping and signage installations were supported by Blue Grass Sod Producers, Sage Garden and the Lady Gray’l Trust. For many years, Chimney Swifts continued to snub use of the upgraded tower although follow-the-leader style flyovers were seen annually, especially in late June when non-resident birds moved through St Adolphe.

LONG TERM MONITORING OF FIVE NEST SITES IN ST ADOLPHE. Behaviour observations of Chimney Swifts using five nest sites in four historical St Adolphe buildings were made for the 19^th consecutive year (see summary below). In 2025, all sites were occupied and breeding pairs moved through nest building, egg laying, incubation, and hatching stages. Unfortunately, nest failures began in early July and by mid-month nests of brooded juveniles were lost at the Church, NE Club Amical, and Brodeur Bros./Daycare. Fortunately, the breeding pair at the SE Club Amical nest site prevailed, assisted by a helper, and 2 fledglings took their first flights outside the chimney August 11. Good news continued with the Main St nesting attempt appearing successful based on cleanout trap evidence.

The 2025 Church nesting attempt had failed before 6 swifts “from away” arrived in St Adolphe on July 20 and were seen using the Church during the daytime. That was similar timing of new arrivals to St Adolphe in 2024 (The Swarm mentioned above).

From Marissa’s July 21, 2025 blog: “Church: The Church nest failed earlier this month. Interestingly, on July 20, Barb caught sight of a swift exiting the Church chimney with her peripheral vision. Within 30 seconds, she saw a total of 6 swifts exit the chimney… Who are these swifts, and what are they doing? Very strange, but not totally unfamiliar….

In Barb’s words: “There seems to be a replay from the CHSW playbook – a year to the day! Cast your thoughts back to exactly 1 year ago when a swarm of swifts started using the Church chimney as a premigratory roost before the Church nestlings had fledged (End Of July Update July 2024; https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/2024/07/)”

WHAT’S NEXT? The last swift seen in St Adolphe this year was a bird exiting from The Tower on the morning of August 21. The last known Manitoba swifts, a late-breeding pair, left Selkirk in mid-September. Our swifts winter in the Amazon Basin and begin to migrate north in early March. Crossing the Gulf of Mexico, the birds arrive in the southern US – Texas to Florida – then continue north as they distribute themselves through the summer breeding range. We can look forward to hearing the characteristic chittering of Chimney Swifts in early to mid-May as they race about St Adolphe skies.

New trends need investigating. The colonization of The Tower and shifting dynamics of premigratory swifts arriving in the third week of July are noteworthy. Departure dates at the end of the season vary between years (Stewart and Stewart 2023; https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/Documents/bluejay_winter2023.pdf ). For the 2014-2022 breeding seasons, unsuccessful and successful Chimney Swifts typically left St Adolphe on August 2 and August 14 respectively. This was 5-6 days earlier compared to the 2007-2013 breeding seasons when unsuccessful and successful Chimney Swifts typically departed on August 7 and August 20 respectively. This year, later fledging in mid-August (nominally August 11-16) was the trend, so a large number of swifts were flying about much later in the season once more. Clearly, Chimney Swifts have some capacity to adapt to ever changing environmental conditions such as intense wildfire smoke and heat events. We have to learn from the swifts, adapt our approaches to monitor the birds accurately, understand the conditions required for them to breed successfully and provide suitable habitat for their needs.

In 2026, MCSI will be celebrating 20 years of Chimney Swift outreach, monitoring, habitat stewardship and research activities. I am looking forward to meeting up at The Tower and other chimney sides in St Adolphe next year for more swift experiences and learning opportunities. Those Stealthy Chimney Swifts at The Tower will be monitored with Eagle Eyes! Merci et thank you to our swift-friendly landlords and tenants: the new homeowners of Main St, Alexia and Darien Krasnesky; Paroisse St. Adolphe Parish; the RM of Ritchot; and the St Adolphe Child Care Centre. Your support of this Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative research program and St. Adolphe’s Chimney Swifts is appreciated! Many thanks also to the St Adolphe ground crew for assisting in the all-important monitoring and Tower inspection/upkeep: Marissa Berard, Lewis Cocks, Frank Machovec, Jacquie Machovec, Linnea Poole, Tim Poole and Rob Stewart.

Summary of Chimney Swift breeding outcomes, for six St. Adolphe nest sites in 2025. These results are based on 62.5 hours of observations.      

SITE	NESTING ATTEMPT?	OUTCOME OF NESTING ATTEMPT
SE CLUB AMICAL	YES	SUCCESSFUL; behaviour observations estimate 2 fledglings on August 11; helper present.
NE CLUB AMICAL	YES	UNSUCCESSFUL; failed at feeding brooded juvenile stage, July 15; helper present.
BRODEUR BROS./ DAYCARE	YES	UNSUCCESSFUL; failed at feeding brooded juvenile stage, mid-July; no helper detected.
CHURCH	YES	UNSUCCESSFUL; failed at feeding brooded juvenile stage, July 7-8; helper likely.
MAIN ST.	YES	SUCCESSFUL; fledging date unknown; helper status unknown.
TOWER   (LOCATED IN THE CHURCH FIELD; MCSI ORIGINAL STYLE – T3)	YES	SUCCESSFUL 2025 NESTING ATTEMPT (based on behaviour observations and cleanout trap evidence); breeding pair and helper observed during the daytime; 2 fledglings using site August 16; 1 unhatched egg and 2 hatched eggs; no carcasses. Nest attached to south wall of Tower above eggs. Additional roosting adults observed pre-fledging; site designated as combination nest/roost site. THESE ARE THE FIRST OBSERVATIONS OF USE OF ANY OF THE FIVE ORIGINAL-STYLE 12’ TOWERS BUILT BY MCSI IN 2008.   SUCCESSFUL NESTING ATTEMPT IN 2024 INDICATED (based on cleanout trap evidence only); 4-5 hatched eggs; no carcasses. Nest dropped in northwest corner of Tower beside eggs. THIS IS NOMINALLY THE FIRST SEASON OF USE OF THE ST ADOLPHE TOWER.

Behaviour observations plus the physical evidence seen in cleanout traps were used to assess nesting success at the Brodeur Bros./Daycare, Main St., and Tower sites. Only behaviour observations were available to assess nesting success at the SE Club Amical, NE Club Amical, and the Church sites as there are no accessible cleanout traps associated with those chimneys.

Prepared by Barb Stewart, Sila Consultants, October 13, 2025. sila.stewart@gmail.com

Happy first week of fall!

We’re finally back with our last monitoring recap. We left off last time with the happenings of Sept 10, when Dennis and Patti were hoping to see signs of fledglings but saw only 2 entries during the roosting hour before having to wrap up early due to some Fire Department training. 

Dennis and Patti returned on Sept 11. They monitored from 7:05pm-8:20pm, and saw 1 entry at 7:18pm and 1 entry at 7:27pm. The next day, on Friday Sept 12, Dennis and Patti monitored from 6:58pm-8:17pm. They noted that there was a goose sitting on the chimney from about 7:00pm-7:30pm. They saw zero swifts…

On Saturday morning (Sept 13), Patti spent about an hour chimney-side and did not see any swifts. She returned later that evening and again saw no activity during the half hour she was there.

On Sunday (Sept 14), Patti monitored from 7:00pm-8:13pm and again saw no activity, confirming that they must really be gone for good (until next spring, of course).

Huh – what an interesting and mysterious end to the Infirmary swift saga. Thanks again to Patti and Dennis for their many hours of September monitoring!!!

It’s tough to say if the chicks did successfully fledge and depart very quickly afterwards, or if somewhere along the way the late attempt failed. Now that the swifts are gone, we will be able to check out the chimney clean-out trap for more clues. The contents of the chimney clean-out trap (egg fragments, nests, etc) will provide very important information on what truly went down. I hope to post a summary of the clean-out findings on the blog, so stay tuned for that. 

So, that’s officially a wrap on our 2025 Chimney Swift monitoring season! Thank you SO much to all of you incredible volunteers. It’s hard to put into words how much your participation and support mean to this program.

We’re in the process of entering and verifying all the monitoring data from the season. Once we’ve got that information ready, we will post the season summary on the blog.

Thanks again for being here!

Cheers,

Marissa

If you can believe it, there is a pair of swifts in Manitoba that is likely still feeding chicks! Yep, you read that right – the breeding pair at Selkirk Mental Health’s Centre’s Infirmary chimney are still going strong, despite some very cold days.

We want to send a huge shoutout to the Selkirk volunteers who have continued to monitor weekly, right to the end of this looooong season! Fun fact, the Selkirk Birdwatchers Club was recognized as one of our 2017 Swift Champions (https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/new-swift-champion-plaques-awarded/). Gerald Machnee, who coordinates the Selkirk volunteers and also spends a ton of time monitoring, was recognized individually as one of our 2024 Swift Champions (https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/swift-champions-2024/). We’re very lucky to have you all in our swift community!

Selkirk

T01: Fred and Nettie monitored T01 on Sept 4 from 7:00pm-8:35pm and saw no activity. Gerald monitored T01 on Sept 7 from 7:10pm-8:25pm and once again saw no activity, confirming that the swifts at this site have left on migration.

Infirmary: Despite several days of cold temperatures, it seems the Infirmary swifts have survived and are continued to feed! On Sept 5, Dennis and Patti monitored the Infirmary from 7:30pm-8:32pm and saw 1 entry/exit around 7:44pm, 1 entry at 8:05pm and 1 entry at 8:10pm.

 They monitored again on Sept 7 from 7:07pm-8:27pm and saw 1 entry/exit around 7:11pm, 2 entries at 7:35pm followed by 2 exits at 7:37pm, and 2 final entries around 8:00pm.

On September 10 (Tim’s estimated day of fledging), Dennis and Patti watched the site from 6:58pm-7:48pm hoping to catch signs of newly fledged young. They saw 1 entry at 7:11pm, 1 exit at 7:15pm, and 2 entries around 7:30pm. They had to wrap up their session early because of the Fire Department came to do some training near the chimney, so the suspense continues…

Stay tuned for the conclusions of this Selkirk Swift Saga – fingers crossed we will have good news to share soon! 

Until then, have a great September!

Cheers,

Marissa

Chimney Swifts in the News, and Some Still in the Nest! 

Happy September! We’ve hit the home stretch of the 2025 swift season.

The swift activity has really dwindled in many communities across the province, but there are still some swifts kicking around. The breeding pair at the Infirmary chimney in Selkirk seem to still be feeding young, with a week to go until the estimated fledging date. The dropping temperatures and decreasing insect availability will certainly present a challenge for these swifts, but anything is possible! We are crossing our fingers that they will succeed.

Friendly reminder to please send in your monitoring reports. Even if you have reports from earlier this summer that you haven’t submitted yet, it’s not too late! We will make sure they get added to our database.

Before we launch into our penultimate monitoring recap, we’ve got a few interesting links to share. Chimney Swifts were featured prominently in the media last week!

• Last Wednesday, Assiniboine Park posted an article (“A Soaring Success: Chimney Swifts at Assiniboine Park”) on their website: https://www.assiniboinepark.ca/stories/301/a-soaring-success-chimney-swifts-at-assiniboine-park
• The story was then picked up by CBC radio on Friday, who aired a segment on “Information Radio” with Marcie Markusa and again on “Up to Speed” with Faith Fundal: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-29-information-radio-mb/clip/16166431-how-assiniboine-park-helping-threatened-chimney-swifts
• Also on Friday, Rudolf Koes was an invited speaker on the phone-in show about birding on CBC Radio Noon. He was asked about Chimney Swifts (and gulls):

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-101-radio-noon-manitoba/clip/16166532-bird-expert-talks-seagull-flocks-chimney-swifts-manitoba

Time to get into our monitoring recap.

Carman

Rhonda watched the Carman Memorial Hall on August 26 during the roosting hour and did not see any swifts. Looks like the swifts have officially departed from Carman.

La Broquerie

Frank visited the St Joachim Church in La Broquerie for a roost hour watch on August 30. He caught 2 entries into the large chimney, and 3 entries into the small chimney. A few more details from Frank: “During the monitoring period the birds never circled the church area as they usually do; they just plunged into their chimney from great height.” 

Saint-Jean-Baptiste

Luc monitored the Church on August 19 from 8:08pm-9:08pm. He saw 1 entry/exit around 8:23pm, 3 entries around 8:30pm, 1 exit at 8:32pm, 1 exit at 8:40pm, 1 entry at 8:43pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:47pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:50pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:53pm, and 2 entries around 9:00pm (4 swifts in the chimney).

Selkirk

The swifts have departed from most sites at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre, but there is still some activity at two sites.

T01: On August 27, Fred and Nettie monitored T01 from 7:10pm-8:55pm and saw 1 entry at 8:10pm, 1 entry at 8:19pm, and 1 exit at 8:30pm.

Infirmary: On August 26, Patti monitored the Infirmary from 7:42pm-8:53pm. She saw 1 entry/exit around 7:55pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:03pm, 1 entry/exit at 8:08pm, 1 entry/exit at 8:11pm, 2 entries followed by 2 exits around 8:18pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:26pm, 1 entry/exit at 8:28pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:34pm, and 3 entries around 8:40pm. Feeding is ongoing!  

A roosting hour watch on Sept 1 revealed a roost count of 2 swifts. We’re thinking that the assumed helper may have left, leaving the breeding pair to try and wrap up their late nesting attempt by themselves.

Wasagaming

Ellie watched the Dragonfly Tearoom on August 21 from 8:15pm-9:15pm and on August 26 from 8:05pm-9:05pm. She saw no activity on both nights.

Winnipeg

Breanne monitored 411 Stradbrook Ave from 7:17pm-8:47pm on August 29. She did not see or hear any swifts.

Priority site list (updated September 2):

Community	Neighbourhood	Address	Site name	Observer
Carman	–	2nd St	Private residence
Dauphin	–	404 1st St. SW	St. Paul’s Anglican Church	Pat S.
Eriksdale	–	16 Railway Avenue	St John’s Anglican Church/Eriksdale Museum
Melita	–	Veteran’s Way	Private residence
Pilot Mound	–	Railway St	Private residence
Souris	–	5th Ave W	Private residence
Souris	–	2nd St S	Private residence	demolished
Saint-Jean- Baptiste	–	113 2nd Ave SW	Ecole Regionale Saint-Jean-Baptiste	Luc B.
Stonewall	–	336 Main St	Prairie Zen Massage	Tim P.
Swan River	–	518 Main Street	Commercial building
The Pas	–	627 Cathedral Ave	Cathedral Apartments
Wasagaming	–	106 Buffalo Drive	Dragonfly Delights Team Room
Winnipeg	Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood	Park Boulevard N	Private residence
Winnipeg	City Centre	222 York Ave (both chimneys)	Brink’s Canada
Winnipeg	City Centre	71 Kennedy St	Scarsdale Apartments	Marissa B. & Amy M.
Winnipeg	City Centre	100 Adelaide Street	Immigrant Centre Building
Winnipeg	City Centre	91 Albert Street	The Old Market Autonomous Zone
Winnipeg	Daniel McIntyre	Canora St	Private residence	Amy M.
Winnipeg	Fort Garry	1022 Pembina Highway	Cambridge Hotel – Tower
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	411 Stradbrook Ave	Lancaster Apartment
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	272 Cockburn Street	King George Court
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	141 River Avenue	Ludlow Court Apartments
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	280 River Avenue	Moxam Court
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	245 Bell Avenue	Children’s Education Funds Inc
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	834 Grosvenor	Eugene Apartments	Cam T.
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	444 River Ave	Augustine United Church
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry	Balmoral St	Private residence
Winnipeg	North Kildonan	25 Valhalla Drive	Valhalla Gardens
Winnipeg	Point Douglas	442 William Avenue	Filcasa Housing Coop
Winnipeg	River Heights	465A Lanark St	Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg	River Heights	465D Lanark St	Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	394 Academy Road	Uptown Lofts
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	Dorchester Ave	Private residence
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	Kylemore Ave	Private residence
Winnipeg	St Boniface	780 Elizabeth Road	Arundel Apartments	Marilyn B. & Pam L.
Winnipeg	St Boniface	223 Archibald Street	Archibald Storage, large chimney	Frank M.
Winnipeg	St Boniface	865 Tache Ave.	Civic Roofing
Winnipeg	St Boniface	99 Birchdale Avenue	Nordale School	Amy M.
Winnipeg	St James	2285 Portage Avenue	Foodfare, St James	Amy M.
Winnipeg	St James	2415 Portage Avenue	Essex House, pest cage
Winnipeg	St Vital	185 Fernwood Ave	St Vital – Niakwa Manor	Frank M.
Winnipeg	Transcona	1305 Winona Street	Transcona Collegiate	Frank M.
Winnipeg	West Broadway	39 Balmoral Street	Apartment
Winnipeg	West End	318 Home St	Mennonite Church	Frank M.
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	187 Kilbride Avenue	Kildonan United Church	Amy M.
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	31 McBeth St	McBeth House (B) East chimney (centre)
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	31 McBeth St	McBeth House (C) South chimney (right)

Cheers,

Marissa

It’s Not Over Till It’s Over! 

We’ve reached the last week of August, and soon the swifts will all be headed down south for the winter. But, it’s not over till it’s over! While it seems that swifts have officially departed from many sites (as evidenced by counts of zero swifts during theroosting hour), there are still lots of swifts around. For example, the breeding pair and helper at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre’s Infirmary chimney are still feeding non-brooded young! 

As swifts move around and make their way south, swifts may pop up in areas they weren’t regularly seen throughout the spring/summer. If you do notice any groups of swifts, we’d love to hear about it! Please send us an email with the number of swifts, location and time.  

Though swift numbers are dwindling, monitoring is still valuable at this time of year. Getting those roosting hour “zero counts” helps us understand when swifts depart from different areas (and how these dynamics change from year to year). 

Let’s get into the recap, including the results from our Aug 19 blitz. Thanks again to all of you for your continued help and participation. We are so grateful and very appreciative to have such an incredible volunteer base!

Carman

Rhonda watched the Carman Memorial Hall on August 19 from 8:11pm-9:00pm. She saw 2 entries around 8:36pm. Rhonda also mentioned that she saw some daytime activity at this chimney on the following days (though the amount of daytime use seems lower than in early August). 

Lockport

On August 21, Gerald monitored the St. Andrews Lock and Dam Maintenance Compound from 8:15pm-9:07pm and saw no activity. 

Lower Fort Garry

Gerald watched the LFG sites on August 19 from 8:08pm-9:10pm. There was no activity at the Fur Loft. At the Men’s House, there was 1 entry/exit at 8:32pm, and 1 entry at 8:33pm.  

Gerald returned on August 24. He watched from 8:00pm to 8:55pm and saw no swifts. Seems they have officially departed from Lower Fort Garry.  

Portage la Prairie

Jana watched the United Church on August 19 from 8:15pm-9:20pm and saw 2 entries into the South chimney. 

Selkirk

The swifts have departed most sites at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre. As of August 21, only 2 of the 6 sites still had swift activity (T01 and the Infirmary chimney). Details below. 

T01: Fred and Nettie watched T01 on August 21 from 7:30pm-9:10pm and saw 4 entries during the roosting hour. 

T02: Lisa and Monty watched T02 on August 19 from 8:00pm-9:10pm and saw no activity. 

T04: Nia and Linda watched T04 on August 19 from 8:04pm-9:10pm and saw no activity.

Infirmary chimney: Dennis and Patti watched the Infirmary chimney on August 19 from 8:00pm-9:08pm. They saw 1 entry/exit at 8:07pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:13pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:27pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:33pm, 1 entry/exit at 8:41pm, and 11 entries between 8:45pm-8:59pm. Looks like this site has shifted to feeding non-brooded young while also hosting roosting swifts. 

On August 23, Patti monitored the Infirmary from 7:55pm-9:00pm. She saw 1 entry/exit at 7:59pm, 1 entry/exit at 8:04pm, 1 entry/exit at 8:15pm, 1 entry/exit at 8:18pm, 1 entry/exit at 8:28pm, 1 entry at 8:40pm, 1 entry/exit at 8:43pm, and 2 entries around 8:49pm (3 swifts using the tower – likely a breeding pair + helper). Lots of feeding happening here!!! It seems also that the group of roosting swifts has moved on, leaving only the swifts involved in the breeding attempt. 

Yellow Brick chimney: Nia and Linda watched the Yellow Brick chimney on August 19 from 8:04pm-9:10pm and saw no activity. 

St. Adolphe

Barb has continued her regular visits to the Tower. On August 18, she was there from 9:15am-10am and saw 3 exits, and 1 entry. The next day (Aug 19), she did see 2 swifts feeding in the area but did not see any entries or exits. On Wednesday (Aug 20), she once again did not see any activity. It seemed like the daytime activity had come to an end, until Thursday (Aug 21) when Barb caught an exit from the tower at 9:36am. She returned on Friday morning and did not see any entries or exits during the 30 minutes she was there. She returned again on Sunday and once again didn’t see any swifts. It seems that the swifts may now have left St Adolphe for the season (though I think it’s safe to say we are all open to some more surprises this year). 

St. Norbert

On August 19, Blaire watched the St. Norbert Behavioural Health Foundation from 8:01pm-9:19pm and saw 7 entries between 8:32pm-8:53pm. 

Winnipeg

Tim has once again found a new site! On August 20, Tim caught a fast entry into a private residence in the 300 block of Maplewood Ave. This chimney was an interesting one. Here is Tim’s description: 
“It looks like there are three flues with spark arresters covering the outer two flues and the swift entering the central flue (which might or might not have some sort of liner).” 

Here is a photo, sent in by Tim: 

On August 19, Amy M. checked out the Uptown Lofts (394 Academy Rd) from 9:10am-10:00am and did not see any activity. She then moved to the Assiniboine School (175 Winston Rd). She monitored this site from 10:05am-11:05am and saw 1 entry at 10:20am, 1 exit at 10:23am, 1 entry at 10:36am, and 1 exit at 10:43am. Seems feeding is ongoing at this site. 

Jo and Richard watched the Assiniboine Park Zoo tower on August 19 from 7:06pm-8:10pm. They saw up to 6 swifts flying overhead but did not see any entries or exits. 

Breanne monitored Ludlow Court (141 River Ave) on August 19 from 7:40pm-9:10pm. Though she heard some chittering to the west, she did not see any swifts. 

Rudolf shared with us an interesting sighting he had on the morning of August 20: “About 25 swifts were flying in a loose flock over Kildonan Park, seen from across the river. They were obviously actively feeding and I counted/estimated them several times, always coming up with the tally of 25. Most I have seen in the area in many years.” 

That’s it for this week’s recap. Thanks again for monitoring and for sending in your reports! 

Priority site list (updated August 25):

Community	Neighbourhood	Address	Site name	Observer
Carman	–	2nd St	Private residence
Dauphin	–	404 1st St. SW	St. Paul’s Anglican Church	Pat S.
Eriksdale	–	16 Railway Avenue	St John’s Anglican Church/Eriksdale Museum
Melita	–	Veteran’s Way	Private residence
Pilot Mound	–	Railway St	Private residence
Souris	–	5th Ave W	Private residence
Souris	–	2nd St S	Private residence	demolished
Saint-Jean- Baptiste	–	113 2nd Ave SW	Ecole Regionale Saint-Jean-Baptiste	Luc B.
Stonewall	–	336 Main St	Prairie Zen Massage	Tim P.
Swan River	–	518 Main Street	Commercial building
The Pas	–	627 Cathedral Ave	Cathedral Apartments
Wasagaming	–	106 Buffalo Drive	Dragonfly Delights Team Room
Winnipeg	Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood	Park Boulevard N	Private residence
Winnipeg	City Centre	222 York Ave (both chimneys)	Brink’s Canada
Winnipeg	City Centre	71 Kennedy St	Scarsdale Apartments	Marissa B. & Amy M.
Winnipeg	City Centre	100 Adelaide Street	Immigrant Centre Building
Winnipeg	City Centre	91 Albert Street	The Old Market Autonomous Zone
Winnipeg	Daniel McIntyre	Canora St	Private residence	Amy M.
Winnipeg	Fort Garry	1022 Pembina Highway	Cambridge Hotel – Tower
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	411 Stradbrook Ave	Lancaster Apartment
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	272 Cockburn Street	King George Court
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	141 River Avenue	Ludlow Court Apartments
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	280 River Avenue	Moxam Court
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	245 Bell Avenue	Children’s Education Funds Inc
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	834 Grosvenor	Eugene Apartments	Cam T.
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	444 River Ave	Augustine United Church
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry	Balmoral St	Private residence
Winnipeg	North Kildonan	25 Valhalla Drive	Valhalla Gardens
Winnipeg	Point Douglas	442 William Avenue	Filcasa Housing Coop
Winnipeg	River Heights	465A Lanark St	Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg	River Heights	465D Lanark St	Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	394 Academy Road	Uptown Lofts
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	Dorchester Ave	Private residence
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	Kylemore Ave	Private residence
Winnipeg	St Boniface	780 Elizabeth Road	Arundel Apartments	Marilyn B. & Pam L.
Winnipeg	St Boniface	223 Archibald Street	Archibald Storage, large chimney	Frank M.
Winnipeg	St Boniface	865 Tache Ave.	Civic Roofing
Winnipeg	St Boniface	99 Birchdale Avenue	Nordale School	Amy M.
Winnipeg	St James	2285 Portage Avenue	Foodfare, St James	Amy M.
Winnipeg	St James	2415 Portage Avenue	Essex House, pest cage
Winnipeg	St Vital	185 Fernwood Ave	St Vital – Niakwa Manor	Frank M.
Winnipeg	Transcona	1305 Winona Street	Transcona Collegiate	Frank M.
Winnipeg	West Broadway	39 Balmoral Street	Apartment
Winnipeg	West End	318 Home St	Mennonite Church	Frank M.
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	187 Kilbride Avenue	Kildonan United Church	Amy M.
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	31 McBeth St	McBeth House (B) East chimney (centre)
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	31 McBeth St	McBeth House (C) South chimney (right)

Cheers,

Marissa

Blitz Reminder, Late Nesters, and More!

A quick reminder that our final monitoring blitz is tomorrow, August 19^th! Please reach out if you would like some suggestions for sites to monitor. You can also check out our priority site list (included at the end of this blog) or browse through our 2024 summary database and pick a site from there:

https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/Documents/2024_2021_database.pdf

At this point, many sites have now fledged while some sites are still feeding young.

There continues to be very exciting and unexpected developments at the Tower in St. Adolphe. Originally, we thought the never-before-seen use of the Tower could be attributed to curious, non-breeding swifts. However, after multiple momentous monitoring sessions this week, it seems that the Tower is hosting a very late nesting attempt AND has become a roost site for non-breeding swifts!!! This is unprecedented. The full rundown of the St. Adolphe Tower happenings can be found in the St. A recap below.

Without further ado, let’s get into it.

Carman

Rhonda has been regularly monitoring the Carman Memorial Hall. On August 5, she watched from 8:38pm-9:45pm and saw 1 entry/exit around 8:42pm, and 1 entry at 8:56pm. On August 6, she watched from 6:10pm-7:10pm and saw 2 entries followed by 2 exits at 6:12pm, 1 entry at 6:34pm, 1 exit at 6:42pm, 1 entry at 6:54pm, 1 exit at 7:00pm, 1 entry at 7:02pm, and 1 exit at 7:08pm. On August 9, she monitored from 3:00pm-4:18pm and saw 2 entries around 3:10pm, 1 exit at 3:13pm, 1 exit at 3:33pm, 1 entry at 3:44pm, 1 entry at 4:04pm, 1 exit at 4:05pm and 1 exit at 4:13pm.

Lockport

On August 15, Gerald watched the St Andrews Lock and Dam Maintenance Compound from 8:12pm-9:20pm. He saw 1 entry/exit around 8:40pm and 1 entry at 8:56pm at the South chimney. 

Portage la Prairie

On August 11, Jana monitored the United Church (15 Tupper St. S) from 8:33pm-9:18pm. Throughout the monitoring session, she saw 7 swifts enter the South chimney.

Jana and Gordon checked out a few sites on the evening of August 13. They started out at the former Correctional Centre (329 Duke Ave) from 8:25pm-9:05pm and saw no activity at all. Jana then moved go the United Church and was joined shortly after by Gordon. They saw 9 entries into the South chimney.

Selkirk

T01: Cam watched T01 from 9:46am-10:46am on August 11 and saw 1 entry at 9:46am, 1 entry/exit at 10:06am, and 1 entry/exit around 10:31am. Fred and Nettie watched T01 from 7:20pm-9:20pm on August 13 and saw 1 entry at 9:05pm.

T02: On August 15, Dennis and Patti watched T02 from 7:56pm-9:15pm. They saw 1 entry at 8:59pm and 1 exit at 9:10pm. 

T03: Dennis and Patti watched T03 from 8:18pm-9:21pm on August 13 and saw no activity.

T04: Cam watched T02 from 10:52am-11:52am on August 11 and saw no entries or exits. Nia and Linda watched T04 on August 11 from 8:19pm-9:26pm and saw 2 entries at 9:21pm.  

Yellow Brick chimney: On August 11, Cam monitored this site from 10:52am-11:52am and saw 1 exit at 11:10am. He mentions there may have been a few more exits but only 1 was confirmed.On August 13,Nia and Linda watched the chimney from 8:19pm-9:26pm and saw 4 entries.

Infirmary chimney: On August 13, Dennis and Patti watched this chimney from 8:18pm-9:21pm.They saw 1 entry at 8:31pm, 2 exits at 8:32pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:42pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:43pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:52pm, 15 entries between 8:59pm-9:14pm, and 1 exit at 9:20pm. That’s up to 15 swifts inside the chimney and 14 swifts inside at the end of the roosting hour. Seems like feeding is ongoing at this site, on top of hosting many roosting swifts!

St. Adolphe

There is LOTS to report on here. Before we launch into the very exciting developments at the Tower, we’ll do a quick recap of the other St. A sites. The SE Club Amical swifts officially fledged on August 11! Woohoo. On August 13, Barb caught 2 of the SE Club Amical fledglings exit the NE Club Amical chimney, so they are doing a bit of exploring. On August 13, there was no daytime entries/exits at the Brodeur Bros./Daycare site and the Main St site. The Main St chimney hasn’t been regularly monitored this season, so accessing the clean-out in the fall will reveal whether the nesting attempt at this site was successful or not.

Now let’s get into the extra exciting stuff – the Church and the Tower! These sites can now be monitored from the same vantage point, thanks to some precise tree trimming by Rob and Barb.

On August 12, Lewis and Frank took a trip down to St. Adolphe to monitor the Church and the Tower. Lewis was stationed at the Church while Frank was stationed at the Tower, and they monitored their respective sites from 7:45pm-9:20pm. At the Church, Lewis saw 10 entries which took place between 8:42pm-9:11pm. At the Tower, Frank saw 2 entries around 7:55pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:12pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:17pm, 1 entry at 8:31pm, 1 entry at 8:40pm, 2 entries at 8:55pm followed by 2 exits at 8:57pm, and 2 final entries around 9:04pm. That’s 6 swifts inside the tower! It’s also worth noting that there were 3 swifts using the tower during “daytime” hours (earlier than 30 minutes before sunset) – this is very interesting!

There were lots of eyes on the Tower the next morning (August 13). Barb arrived around 10:08am, and Frank and Jacquie arrived around 10:30am. They switched off on monitoring duties. Between the three of them, the tower was monitored from about 10:08am-12:20pm. There was 1 entry at 10:09am followed by 1 exit at 10:10am seen by Barb, and 1 exit at 11:12am seen by Frank and Jacquie.

On August 14, Barb monitored the Tower from 9:15am-10:15am. She saw 3 consecutive exits around 9:17am, 1 entry at 9:30am, 1 entry/exit around 9:36am, 1 entry/exit at 9:53am, 1 entry at 9:55am, 1 exit at 9:58am, 1 entry at 10:04am and 1 entry at 10:13am. Importantly, Barb noticed one of the swift collecting twigs, a.k.a. nest building behaviour!

On August 16, Tim and Linnea monitored the Church and the Tower from 8:00pm-9:14pm. At the Church, there were 3 entries between 8:54pm-9:01pm. At the Tower, there was 1 entry/exit around 8:09pm, 1 entry at 8:28pm, 1 entry at 8:38pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:48pm, and 3 entries between 8:54pm-9:03pm (5 swifts inside the tower at the end of the roosting hour). Tim notes that there were 15 swifts flying overhead at 8:40pm while 2 swifts were inside the tower, so there were at least 17 swifts in the area.

Daytime use continued August 17, when Barb checked out the Tower during the afternoon and saw 2 swifts enter followed by 1 exit several minutes later.

So, what is going on here??? Well, the Tower seems to have become a site of interest for breeding swifts AND non-breeding, roosting swifts. The consistent daytime activity by 3 swifts (likely a breeding pair + a helper) combined with the twig collecting observed by Barb strongly suggests that a very very late season nesting attempt is underway here… Barb theorizes that “the interest in The Tower by a breeding oriented pair may have been the draw for others from the “from away” group to join in for roosting”. We won’t know for sure what is going on inside that Tower until we access the clean-out later in the fall. Until then, we will have to patiently wait while we continue to take our best guesses! 

Winnipeg

John watched the Moorgate Apartments (2187 Portage Ave) from 8:12pm-9:26pm on August 10. He saw up to 8 swifts flying within 50 metres of the chimney throughout the session, and saw 2 swifts enter around 9:02pm. John mentioned that he lost sight of the chimney between 8:50pm-9:00pm while he spoke with a resident from the building, so it is possible there were other entries that were missed. 

On August 10, Blair monitored Fernwood Apartments (314 St Anne’s Rd) from 8:19pm-9:12pm and saw no swift activity. On August 13, Blair monitored Niakwa Park Plaza (1310 Archibald St) from 8:24pm-9:20pm and saw 5 entries between 8:39pm-9:04pm. Blair suspects these were 2 adults and 1-3 fledglings. On August 14, Blair monitored Riverside Billiards (531 St Mary’s Rd) from 1:04pm-2:04pm and saw no swift activity. Later that day, he monitored Springs Christian Academy (261 Youville St) from 8:08pm-9:18pm and saw 5 entries between 8:39pm-9:04pm. Blair suspects these were 2 adults and 3 fledglings, based on the variety in entry styles.

Amy and Matt monitored the St. Avila School (633 Patricia Ave) on the morning of August 12. They saw 8 swifts flying overhead but did not see any entries or exits.

Breanne monitored River Manor Apartments (424 River Ave) from 7:51pm-9:31pm on August 13, and saw groups of swifts flying in the area but did not see any entries into the chimney.

Alyssa monitored the Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) chimney on August 13 from 8:19pm-9:19pm and saw 2 entries at 8:21pm followed by 1 exit at 8:26pm.

Thanks everyone!

Priority site list (updated August 18):

Community	Neighbourhood	Address	Site name	Observer
Carman	–	2nd St	Private residence
Dauphin	–	404 1st St. SW	St. Paul’s Anglican Church	Pat S.
Eriksdale	–	16 Railway Avenue	St John’s Anglican Church/Eriksdale Museum
Melita	–	Veteran’s Way	Private residence
Pilot Mound	–	Railway St	Private residence
Souris	–	5th Ave W	Private residence
Souris	–	2nd St S	Private residence	demolished
Saint-Jean- Baptiste	–	113 2nd Ave SW	Ecole Regionale Saint-Jean-Baptiste	Luc B.
Stonewall	–	336 Main St	Prairie Zen Massage	Tim P.
Swan River	–	518 Main Street	Commercial building
The Pas	–	627 Cathedral Ave	Cathedral Apartments
Wasagaming	–	106 Buffalo Drive	Dragonfly Delights Team Room
Winnipeg	Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood	Park Boulevard N	Private residence
Winnipeg	City Centre	222 York Ave (both chimneys)	Brink’s Canada
Winnipeg	City Centre	71 Kennedy St	Scarsdale Apartments	Marissa B. & Amy M.
Winnipeg	City Centre	100 Adelaide Street	Immigrant Centre Building
Winnipeg	City Centre	91 Albert Street	The Old Market Autonomous Zone
Winnipeg	Daniel McIntyre	Canora St	Private residence	Amy M.
Winnipeg	Fort Garry	1022 Pembina Highway	Cambridge Hotel – Tower
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	411 Stradbrook Ave	Lancaster Apartment
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	272 Cockburn Street	King George Court
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	141 River Avenue	Ludlow Court Apartments
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	280 River Avenue	Moxam Court
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	245 Bell Avenue	Children’s Education Funds Inc
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	834 Grosvenor	Eugene Apartments	Cam T.
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	444 River Ave	Augustine United Church
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry	Balmoral St	Private residence
Winnipeg	North Kildonan	25 Valhalla Drive	Valhalla Gardens
Winnipeg	Point Douglas	442 William Avenue	Filcasa Housing Coop
Winnipeg	River Heights	465A Lanark St	Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg	River Heights	465D Lanark St	Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	394 Academy Road	Uptown Lofts
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	Dorchester Ave	Private residence
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	Kylemore Ave	Private residence
Winnipeg	St Boniface	780 Elizabeth Road	Arundel Apartments	Marilyn B. & Pam L.
Winnipeg	St Boniface	223 Archibald Street	Archibald Storage, large chimney	Frank M.
Winnipeg	St Boniface	865 Tache Ave.	Civic Roofing
Winnipeg	St Boniface	99 Birchdale Avenue	Nordale School	Amy M.
Winnipeg	St James	2285 Portage Avenue	Foodfare, St James	Amy M.
Winnipeg	St James	2415 Portage Avenue	Essex House, pest cage
Winnipeg	St Vital	185 Fernwood Ave	St Vital – Niakwa Manor	Frank M.
Winnipeg	Transcona	1305 Winona Street	Transcona Collegiate	Frank M.
Winnipeg	West Broadway	39 Balmoral Street	Apartment
Winnipeg	West End	318 Home St	Mennonite Church	Frank M.
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	187 Kilbride Avenue	Kildonan United Church	Amy M.
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	31 McBeth St	McBeth House (B) East chimney (centre)
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	31 McBeth St	McBeth House (C) South chimney (right)

Cheers,

Marissa

We’re back with another monitoring recap. Thank you so much to all you incredible volunteers for your continued support and contributions, including answering our spontaneous monitoring call-out last week! We can’t say it enough – your dedication is what makes this program so special and we could not do this without you!

Our next monitoring blitz Tuesday, August 19^th. You can monitor one of your usual sites, pick a site from our priority site list, or any other site from our database. The full site list can be found in our summary database, at the following link:  https://www.mbchimneyswift.com/Documents/2024_2021_database.pdf

If you aren’t free on August 19, no problem! As always, you can monitor on another day that works for you. All data is helpful, and contributes to our database. 

Carman

Rhonda has continued to keep an eye on the swifts in Carman. On July 17, she saw lots of feeding activity while on July 23, there was no daytime activity (which she believes might have corresponded to the site fledging).

La Broquerie

Amy M. and I took a trip down to La Broquerie on August 5 to monitor the two chimneys at the St. Joachim Parish Church. We watched the chimneys for just over an hour (9:28-10:36am) and saw lots of action! At the small chimney, we saw 1 entry at 9:36am, 1 exit at 9:40am, 1 entry at 10:00am, and 1 exit at 10:06am. At the large chimney, we saw 4 exits at 9:40am, 1 exit at 9:41am, 2 entries at 10:08am, 2 exits at 10:11am, and 1 entry at 10:16am. Up to 6 swifts were accounted for. 

Lockport

On August 8, Gerald monitored the St Andrews Lock and Dam Maintenance Compound from 8:15pm-9:35pm. At the South chimney, he saw 1 exit at 8:41pm, 2 entries and 2 exits at 8:59pm, 1 entry/exit at 9:03pm followed by another entry/exit around 9:04pm, 2 entries around 9:20pm and 1 exit at 9:23pm. Some thoughts from Barb: “Given the short duration-in and between visit intervals, I wonder if you have some popcorn behaviour by fledglings…perhaps practicing the all important landings via touch ‘n’ go swift style entries/exits. We never get the satisfaction of knowing exactly which swift pops up after an entry.”

Lower Fort Garry

Gerald monitored the LFG sites on August 10 from 8:17pm-9:25pm. At the Fur Loft, he saw 1 entry at 8:29pm, 1 exit at 8:32pm, 1 entry at 8:43pm and 1 entry at 9:01pm. At the Men’s House, he saw 1 entry/exit at 8:20pm, 1 entry/exit at 8:34pm, and 2 entries around 8:54pm.

Otterburne

On August 5, Amy M. and I monitored the three chimneys at Providence University College from 11:27am-12:32pm. We counted about 15 swifts flying around the Providence College campus and saw lots of action at chimney 551 (the “large” chimney, and the middle one when looking at the chimneys from the main parking lot). During the hour we were there, we saw 10 entries and 9 exits with up to 3 swifts in the chimney at once. Nice to see so much swift activity! It seems that the foraging conditions were quite good that day, given the smoke-free day and on and off rain. 

A Chimney Swift exiting chimney 551 at Providence College. Photo: Marissa Berard.

Portage la Prairie

Joel reports seeing at least 19 swifts flying around Dufferin Ave W on August 5^th. On August 6, Jana and Gordon monitored the United Church from 8:28pm-9:38pm. At the South chimney, they saw 1 entry/exit at 8:29pm, 1 entry/exit around 8:40pm, 1 entry/exit at 9:07pm, 1 entry/exit around 9:08pm, 1 entry/exit around 9:11pm, and 3 entries between 9:21pm-9:29pm. The next day on August 7, Jana returned to the United Church and monitored from 12:19pm-12:55pm. She saw up to 18 swifts flying but did not see any entries or exits at the chimney.

Selkirk

T01: On August 7, Fred and Nettie watched T01 from 7:30pm-9:30pm and saw 1 exit at 7:40pm, 1 entry/exit around 7:42pm, 2 entries around 7:58pm, 1 exit at 8:01pm, 1 entry at 8:12pm,1 possible exit at 8:17pm, and 2 entries around 8:48pm. We believe this site fledged last week.  

T02: On August 10, Dennis and Pattie monitored T02 from 8:20pm-9:26pm and saw 1 entry at 8:46pm, 9 entries from 9:06pm-9:16pm and 2 exits at 9:19pm (up to 10 swifts inside the tower but only 8 in at the end of the roosting hour). We think this site also fledged last week.

T03: On August 7,Dennis and Pattie monitored T03 from 8:31pm-9:30pm and saw 1 entry at 9:20pm. We suspect this nest failed earlier in July.

T04: On August 7, Nia and Linda monitored T04 from 8:45pm-9:34pm and saw 1 entry at 9:15pm. This site has been hard to decipher but it does seem that any nesting attempt here has failed.

Infirmary chimney: On August 7, Dennis and Pattie monitored the Infirmary chimney from 8:31pm-9:30pm and saw 1 exit at 8:59pm, and 10 entries between 9:11pm-9:17pm. It still seems possible that this site is hosting a late nesting attempt combined with being a roost site for other swifts.

Yellow Brick chimney: On August 7, Linda and Nia monitored the Yellow Brick chimney from 8:39pm-9:34pm and saw 3 entries from 9:16pm-9:19pm.We still aren’t sure what is going on at this site.

St. Adolphe

As you may recall from our last blog post, Barb caught two swifts entering and exiting the artificial tower in St. Adolphe on July 29 (the first known use of this tower in its 17 years of existence). On August 10, Tim was made a quick stop at the tower while in the area and caught an exit at 2:54pm! Barb returned to the tower on August 11. She watched from 9:40am-10:05am, and saw 1 entry at 9:54am and 1 exit at 10:02am. Very interesting…. Could there be a nesting attempt at this tower?! We are SO excited to take a peek inside that tower this fall once the swifts are gone, to see if there is a nest or any other evidence of nesting. Until then, we will have to be patient and take our best guesses!

Barb has also continued to keep a close eye on the SE Club Amical swifts, who were on track to fledge sometime between today and Wednesday. This morning (August 11), she monitored the chimney from 9:02am-9:37am, and saw 3 consecutive exits at 9:17am, 1 fast entry at 9:23am, and 1 fast exit at 9:30am. Barb’s words: “Based on the consecutive exits and only activity noted recently by a pair of adults, plus the longer duration-in interval, I am going with nominal fledging!” Woohoo!

Winnipeg

Tim has found a new site in Winnipeg! While in the area, he saw an entry/exit around 6:48pm at the St. Edward the Confessor Church (836 Arlington St). Nice one, Tim!

On July 28, Tim caught 1 entry at 1:08pm into the Mount Royal Apartments (2265 Portage Ave).

On August 6, Breanne monitored the roost chimney at 424 River Ave from 8:01pm-10:01pm on August 6 and though she saw groups of up to 27 swifts flying near the chimney, there were no entries.

On August 7, Frank monitored the Niakwa Manor (185 Fernwood Ave) which was on our priority site list. He watched from 7:55pm-9:25pm and saw 3 entries between 8:24pm-8:46pm, so we can now cross that site off our list. Thanks Frank!

On August 10, Garry watched 712 Watt St from 2:03pm-3:05pm. There were no entries or exits at the chimney, but he saw 4 swifts near the chimney. He was able to see that one was a moulting adult, and two of them were “crispy-plumaged” (likely recently fledged young). 

Blair has visited many St Boniface sites over the past few weeks. On August 2, he monitored 188 St. Mary’s Rd from 2:12pm-2:42pm and saw no swift activity (though he notes there was a Merlin in the area). Also on August 2, he monitored Springs Christian Academy (261 Youville St) from 1:47pm-2:06pm and saw 1 entry at 2:03pm. He returned to this site on August 3 from 8:30pm-9:38pm and saw 2 entries at 9:13pm. On August 2, he monitored 690 St. Joseph (Kaljieb Electrics) from 1:05pm-1:35pm and saw 1 entry/exit at 1:13pm and 1 exit at 1:24pm. He returned to this site on August 5 from 8:25pm-9:34pm and saw 1 entry/exit around 8:28pm, and 1 entry at 8:56pm.  On August 7, he monitored Riverside Billiards (531 St Mary’s Rd) from 8:32pm-9:17pm and saw 1 entry/exit around 8:36pm, and 2 entries around 9:05pm. On August 8, he monitored the Arundel Apartments (790 Elizabeth Rd) from 8:32pm-9:29pm and saw one swift fly-over at 9:12pm but no entries or exits.

That wraps up our recap for this week.

Priority site list (updated August 11):

Community	Neighbourhood	Address	Site name	Observer
Carman	–	2nd St	Private residence
Dauphin	–	404 1st St. SW	St. Paul’s Anglican Church	Pat S.
Eriksdale	–	16 Railway Avenue	St John’s Anglican Church/Eriksdale Museum
Melita	–	Veteran’s Way	Private residence
Pilot Mound	–	Railway St	Private residence
Souris	–	5th Ave W	Private residence
Souris	–	2nd St S	Private residence	demolished
Saint-Jean- Baptiste	–	113 2nd Ave SW	Ecole Regionale Saint-Jean-Baptiste	Luc B.
Stonewall	–	336 Main St	Prairie Zen Massage	Tim P.
Swan River	–	518 Main Street	Commercial building
The Pas	–	627 Cathedral Ave	Cathedral Apartments
Wasagaming	–	106 Buffalo Drive	Dragonfly Delights Team Room
Winnipeg	Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood	Park Boulevard N	Private residence
Winnipeg	City Centre	222 York Ave (both chimneys)	Brink’s Canada
Winnipeg	City Centre	71 Kennedy St	Scarsdale Apartments	Marissa B. & Amy M.
Winnipeg	City Centre	100 Adelaide Street	Immigrant Centre Building
Winnipeg	City Centre	91 Albert Street	The Old Market Autonomous Zone
Winnipeg	Daniel McIntyre	Canora St	Private residence	Amy M.
Winnipeg	Fort Garry	1022 Pembina Highway	Cambridge Hotel – Tower
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	411 Stradbrook Ave	Lancaster Apartment
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	272 Cockburn Street	King George Court
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	141 River Avenue	Ludlow Court Apartments
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	280 River Avenue	Moxam Court
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	245 Bell Avenue	Children’s Education Funds Inc
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	834 Grosvenor	Eugene Apartments	Cam T.
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge	444 River Ave	Augustine United Church
Winnipeg	Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry	Balmoral St	Private residence
Winnipeg	North Kildonan	25 Valhalla Drive	Valhalla Gardens
Winnipeg	Point Douglas	442 William Avenue	Filcasa Housing Coop
Winnipeg	River Heights	465A Lanark St	Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg	River Heights	465D Lanark St	Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	394 Academy Road	Uptown Lofts
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	Dorchester Ave	Private residence
Winnipeg	River Heights/Fort Garry	Kylemore Ave	Private residence
Winnipeg	St Boniface	780 Elizabeth Road	Arundel Apartments	Marilyn B. & Pam L.
Winnipeg	St Boniface	223 Archibald Street	Archibald Storage, large chimney	Frank M.
Winnipeg	St Boniface	865 Tache Ave.	Civic Roofing
Winnipeg	St Boniface	99 Birchdale Avenue	Nordale School	Amy M.
Winnipeg	St James	2285 Portage Avenue	Foodfare, St James	Amy M.
Winnipeg	St James	2415 Portage Avenue	Essex House, pest cage
Winnipeg	St Vital	185 Fernwood Ave	St Vital – Niakwa Manor	Frank M.
Winnipeg	Transcona	1305 Winona Street	Transcona Collegiate	Frank M.
Winnipeg	West Broadway	39 Balmoral Street	Apartment
Winnipeg	West End	318 Home St	Mennonite Church	Frank M.
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	187 Kilbride Avenue	Kildonan United Church	Amy M.
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	31 McBeth St	McBeth House (B) East chimney (centre)
Winnipeg	West Kildonan	31 McBeth St	McBeth House (C) South chimney (right)

Cheers,

Marissa