Hello everybody, Happy 2026 Chimney Swift monitoring season!
Yesterday evening (May 12 th ), we gathered at the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre at Assiniboine Park Zoo to kick off the season. What a night it was!
Staff, volunteers, and Steering Committee members came together to meet face-to-face and reflect on 20 years together as an organization. There was something truly special about being in a room full of people who have dedicated so much time and care to this fascinating (but mysterious!) species. The stories and experiences shared throughout the evening were a reminder of just how far MCSI has come.
Tim addressing the crowd
Our Steering Committee Chair Tim Poole opened the evening with a presentation called The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative: 20 Years of Continuous Learning. Tim walked us through the history of the organization, from its beginnings in 2006 as an entirely volunteer-led initiative, to where we are today. He touched on some of the early lessons learned, including MCSI’s first-generation towers – what didn’t work, what needed tweaking, and the eventual conception of a new tower design better-suited to Manitoba’s climate.
Lewis leading discussion
Tim also shared Steering Committee member Lewis Cocks’ wise words about these birds: “Chimney Swifts are a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma”. That’s a truly accurate description. Case in point: why did the swifts finally decide to use the first-generation St. Adolphe tower 16 years later?!
After some refreshments and plenty of great conversation, we headed outside to watch the Zoo’s second-generation tower. Before long, we spotted a scream of swifts (yes… that’s actually what a group of them is called) flying acrobatically overhead in the fading light. It’s a sight that never gets old, no matter how many seasons you’ve been monitoring with MCSI. One lucky (and attentive!) volunteer did catch a glimpse of a swift diving straight into the tower! The rest of us sadly missed it, but we know there’s plenty more where that came from as the season gets underway.
The tower at the zoo
Here’s to a successful and interesting 2026 monitoring season – we’re excited to see what the swifts have in store for us this year!
It’s hard to imagine that this time last year the first swifts had already been reported in Winnipeg. As I’m writing this, it’s snowing outside my window at the Albert St office. A seemingly never-ending winter. That being said, the swifts are making their way north and will likely be arriving in the next few days. According to eBird reports, they were spotted just outside Fargo, ND on May 2. Here’s hoping there are insects for them to eat once they arrive! Ahead of the swift’s return to Manitoba, I wanted to send out some details about the upcoming monitoring season.
I also wanted to remind anyone who has not already done so to RSVP for our Season Kick-Off Event happening at the Assiniboine Park Zoo next Tuesday, May 12! For more information and to RSVP, click here.
Monitoring Info 2026
Datasheet & protocol: The datasheet and protocol for 2026 can be found on the Resources and Links page of our website in both English and French.
The protocol is where you will find full monitoring instructions, including start/end times, duration, safety information, instructions on how to fill out the datasheet, etc. In the protocol, we also go over the differences between roost hour monitoring and daytime nest monitoring, and what type of monitoring is best based on the time of year. I’ve added a link to our new interactive map to the protocol. If you see a chimney near you that doesn’t have data from the 2025 season, it could need monitoring! Other than that, only the important dates have changed from last year’s protocol (which I will mention again below).
Volunteer sign-up form: Please fill out the volunteer sign-up form for 2026 (for new and returning volunteers): https://forms.gle/bXxziae5p8RGg1Ve7
NRMP dates: The National Roost Survey (“NRMP”) dates are May 20, May 24, May 28, and June 1. If you are free to do a roost monitoring session on one or any of these nights, let us know. Otherwise, you can begin monitoring whenever works for you!
Monitoring blitzes: We will be holding monthly monitoring ‘blitzes’ throughout the season. The goal is to get a snapshot of what is going on at swift sites across the province, by monitoring as many sites as possible on a given night. Monitoring can be done during the day or during the roosting hour. The blitz dates are: June 17, July 15, August 12.
Resources: If you would like a volunteer lanyard, factsheets to hand out to the public, or any other monitoring resources, please let us know!
Priority sites: Every year we have a list of priority sites to monitor. These priority sites are chimneys that haven’t had confirmed use by swifts in a few years, so we want to reaffirm these sites as important Chimney Swift habitat. For these sites, the goal is to see an entry or an exit – once we’ve had a confirmed observation of a swift using that chimney, we can cross that site off our priority list. We will update the list on the blog every week. The list will be at the end of this blog post. Please note that private residences don’t have the full address listed. If you would like more information about a chimney on a private residence, please contact Mackenzie at mbchimneyswift@gmail.com.
We can’t wait to see what this monitoring season brings! As always, please contact us if you have any questions, comments, or would like to be matched with another site.
-Mackenzie
Priority site list (May 6)
Community
Neighbourhood
Location
Site
Brandon
–
1203 Princess Ave
Orange Block (North Chimney)
Carman
–
2nd Street
private residence
Carman
–
1st St. SW
private residence
Clearwater
–
8-10th Street & Boundary Trail
Harvest Moon Learning Ctre
Eriksdale
–
16 Railway Avenue
St John’s Anglican Church and former Eriksdale Museum
Join us Tuesday, May 12 at the Assiniboine Park Zoo to kick off the 2026 Chimney Swift season with food, door prizes, and great company! We are so excited to celebrate the hard work and dedication of our volunteers over the last 20 monitoring seasons. None of what we do would be possible without our volunteers.
This event will be taking place in the multi-purpose room of the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre in the Assiniboine Park Zoo (same location as last year). There will be volunteers at the Special Events Entrance of the Assiniboine Park Zoo (54 Zoo Dr) to let participants in between 6:45 pm – 7:00pm. Please note that the Special Events Entrance is not the same as the Zoo Main Entrance off Roblin Blvd. Please see the map below to find the Special Events Entrance. As this is an after-hours event, RSVP’s are required (link below at end of this post).
At 7 pm, We’ll start the evening off with a short presentation by Tim Poole about the evolution of MCSI: what we’ve learned, what we’ve unlearned, and where we see the program in the future. Mackenzie (MCSI Coordinator) will also share updates on the monitoring season, as well as distribute MCSI volunteer badges and lanyards and Chimney Swift factsheets. After that, we will have some door prizes to give away, followed by snacks and visiting.
At around 8:15pm, we will move outdoors for a group swift watch at the zoo’s artificial tower (weather permitting).
Save The Dates: 2026 Season Kick-off Event & Monitoring Nights
Hello everyone! While it still may not feel like spring out there, the swift season is quickly approaching, and we have some important dates to mark down in your calendars.
This year is a special one, marking MCSI’s 20th monitoring season! We are so grateful to everyone who’s been with us from the start, and we’re excited to continue with the important Chimney Swift conservation work we do across the province. If you have any memories (photos, stories, art, poetry, etc) that you’d like to share from your time monitoring with MCSI, please send them to us at mbchimneyswift@gmail.com! We’re hoping to highlight volunteer memories over the summer to help us celebrate how far we’ve come in the last 20 years.
With that, please take note of the important upcoming dates!
Season Kick-off Event: Tuesday, May 12 @ 7 pm, Assiniboine Park Zoo (54 Zoo Drive)
Please join us for our 3rd Annual Season Kick-off Event held at the Assiniboine Park Zoo on May 12! We will be giving a short presentation, followed by food, visiting, door prizes and a group swift watch at the Zoo Tower.
More details and a registration link to come soon.
National Chimney Swift Roost Survey Dates:
Wednesday, May 20st
Sunday, May 24th
Thursday, May 28th
Monday, June 1st
Monthly Monitoring Blitzes:
Wednesday, June 17th
Wednesday, July 15th
Wednesday, August 12th
Stay tuned for more information, including an updated monitoring protocol, datasheets and other 2026 monitoring season updates! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email at mbchimneyswift@gmail.com.
I’m looking forward to another great monitoring season!
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!
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 September10th 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 indicatedearly 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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
“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…”
Volunteers working on the St. Adolphe tower 2016
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 19th 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.
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.
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!
