Monitoring Recap August 15th–21st
Welcome to another Chimney Swift monitoring recap! It’s really starting to feel like fall with earlier sunsets, the first leaves on the ground, and crisp weather (the average starting temperature during monitoring this week was 20.3°C). This week continued the pattern of quiet watches at a number of sites, with more evidence of fledglings leaving their nests and migratory roosts forming as swift season nears its end in Manitoba.
This one should be a quick read as reports of Chimney Swift activity are slowing down. We’ll get you caught up on everything we know about swifts in the province from Saturday, August 15th to Friday, August 21st. Enjoy!
Previous Reports
Carman
Rhonda watched Carman Memorial Hall during the late morning and early afternoon on August 9th, recording four entries and exits (occurring within 2–3 min) to the chimney ~15–30 min apart, consistent with feeding. Rhonda also noted:
“…I didn’t observe for long enough during the crucial period of August 10th to 16th. I had been stopping after work during that week to see if we had similar activity as August 9th, with [entry/exits] at 20-minute intervals. But it was always no activities. We did have some rainy days, specifically August 15th, where I would have spent more time observing, but, alas, I am a fair-weatherobserver, and I thought the swifts would be just hunkered down in the chimney.”
We greatly appreciate our volunteers spending any amount of time watching for Chimney Swifts!
Roseisle/Leary
Rhonda reported an incidental observation with no Chimney Swifts sighted at the Leary Brickyard chimney. Here are the details of that watch:
“…I checked out the Leary [Brickyard] chimney in Roseisle yesterday, August 9th, and saw no swift activity. Also spoke with Lynette, who lives in the Leary house beside the chimney, and she has not seen any in the past years. She does keep track of all the birds they have daily and it was exciting to hear that the Roseisle Valley has resident Great Grey Owls! I also got to see Turkey Vultures, Red–tailed Hawk, and a Broad-winged Hawk plus Barn Swallows galore. Glorious weather for birding and just plain enjoying the great outdoors.”
Winnipeg
Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood
Steering Committee Chair Tim had a busy evening on August 10th, watching the chimney at a private residence on Park Blvd. Eafter being contacted by a contractor working on the home who was aware of swifts potentially inhabiting the chimney. Tim recorded a single daytime entry and exit followed by three entries and one exit during roosting hour, with two adult swifts entering the chimney to roost and chicks audible from inside the chimney! There seems to be a swift family calling this chimney home, confirming the new site’s use by Chimney Swifts!
August 15th–21st
Clearwater
Program Assistant Gibson visited Clearwater during the afternoon on Thursday, August 20th, to observe the Harvest Moon Learning Centre chimney, a Priority Monitoring Site. The sky was empty of swifts and, sadly, no activity was seen at the chimney. Elise, who is working with the Harvest Moon Society for the summer, let Gibson listen to the chimney from inside the learning centre, but no chicks were heard. Despite the absence of swifts, there was plenty of excitement at the site as swallows, Purple Martins, and Eastern Kingbirds wheeled overhead hunting for insects and bringing food to their chicks in nearby nest boxes.
Pilot Mound
Gibson also visited Pilot Mound on the 20th to monitor another priority site, the chimney on a private residence on Railway St.No swifts were seen at the site or in town.
Selkirk
Our dedicated team of volunteers devoted more time to monitoring the swiftuation at a number of sites in Selkirk this week:
On Sunday, August 16th, Dennis and Patti watched the infirmary-attached tower (T03) and the east infirmary chimney at SMHCduring roosting hour. Both sites were highly active; at the tower, three daytime entries and two exits were followed by eight entries and two more exits during roosting hour, with seven Chimney Swifts remaining to roost. Several fluttering entries to the tower suggest fledgling juveniles are roosting here alongside adult swifts! One entry and two exits during daytime and a further nine and five entries and exits, respectively, during roosting hour were recorded at the chimney. Activity at the east infirmary chimney has been hard to interpret this summer, butthe continuation of poorly defined entry/exit intervals and fiveadult swifts roosting may indicate that the site is being used for roosting rather than nesting. However, three sets of entries and exits ~10 minutes apart early in the watch may support activebreeding with a pair still tending to young alongside additional roosting adults. Patti watched the east infirmary chimney again during the daytime on the 18th and, interestingly, recorded four entries and exits by two swifts. Under our roosting hypothesis, these may have been fledglings taking a break from flight, but if there is still an active nest at the site, these exchanges may have been by parents feeding non-brooded young. It remains hard to say with any certainty what is happening at this chimney; continued monitoring remains important but, at this point, the cleanout of the chimney at the end of the season may be our last hope to put these theories to rest!
Winona watched the apartments chimney at 367 Main St. for 15 minutes during roosting hour on Monday, August 17th. Two swifts entered the chimney to roost during this time! This chimney was last watched on July 26th, with the activity recorded then pointing to the presence of a nest. Perhaps a breeding pair continues to tend to chicks in the chimney!
That same evening, on the 17th, Gerald observed four swifts entering the west taller tower (T01) at SMHC to roost. Activity at this tower has also been testing our interpretation abilities all summer, but Gerald speculated that a couple of the entries with irregular flight patterns indicated a swift family with fledglingsreturning here to roost!
Three teams recorded activity at SMHC on Wednesday, August 19th. Nia and Linda watched the powerhouse/“yellow brick” chimney and the stack replacement tower (T04), recording a single entry to each during a drizzly roosting hour. Fred and Nettie watched the west taller tower (T01), recording only two Chimney Swifts entering the tower to roost. Finally, Monty and Lisa recorded one entry during daytime and three entries during roosting hour to the east smaller tower (T02). With the note that all four swifts made fluttery entries, this site continues to beused as a roost by young-of-the-year as indicated by prior monitoring.
St. Adolphe
Barb watched the St. Adolphe RC Church during the daytime on Thursday, August 20th, recording seven consecutive exits from the chimney! This activity suggests a family or a group of migrant swifts exiting to forage together. Later that evening, Barb and Rob returned for roosting hour watches at the church and the old-style tower, respectively. Barb recorded nine swifts entering the church chimney to roost:
“…The first entry was just before sunset; then a loose group of three [swifts] appeared – they roosted with about 1–minute intervals. Then there were five more individual arrivals with fast, direct entries except for the last straggler who took three passes at the rim to organize a drop into the chimney. Save for the group of three doing a short fly around the cemetery, the swifts just appeared and dove into the chimney = no touring,group activities, etc. I wonder if the group of three could be the group that was associated with the Tower on Monday morning when 1 swift exited to the east where 2 others were flying very close by. I wonder if the last swift entering was a newbie migrant? So, the Church seems to have peaked… and the Tower is largely unused. To have a pre–migratory group form and then to see waning roosting numbers, with some swifts signalling unfamiliarity with the Church chimney, is typical of end of season in St. Adolphe. Migration appears to be underway… We’ll check again in a couple of nights…”
Meanwhile, Rob saw no swifts entering or exiting the tower.The absence of swifts in the tower suggests the family group has stopped using the tower for roosting (the last recorded use was by four swifts during the monitoring blitz on August 12th). Swifts are on the move – we’ll miss them!
St. Andrews
Joanne shared the news that Matt at Lower Fort Garry heard chicks incidentally in the Furloft chimney throughout the day on Wednesday, August 12th, and Thursday the 13th. On August 16th, Gerald returned to the Lower Fort Garry Furloft and Men’s House chimneys for a proper observation during roosting hour. Thankfully, daytime entries and exits were recorded at both sites, indicating that the temporary installation of an artificial nest within the Furloft chimney continues to be a success! With a maximum of three swifts seen entering the chimney and two remaining two roost, the breeding pair still appears to be visitingand feed chicks at the site. At the Men’s House, the many frequent entry/exits also seem to suggest continued feeding of non-brooded young, or perhaps fledglings beginning to practice flight with their parents!
During roosting hour on Tuesday, August 18th, Gerald watched the north chimney at the St. Andrews Lock and Dam Powerhouse. Chimney Swifts were absent at this site.
The Pas
Joel watched the chimney at Lorraine Apartments on 3rd St. during the morning of August 17th, recording one swift that flew quietly around the chimney three times without entering and a single exit from the chimney ~10 minutes later. The presence of a swift in this chimney during daytime is interesting but no conclusion can be drawn as this is the first time this site has been watched this season.
Winnipeg
Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood
Tai watched the chimney at the Canadian Mennonite University during roosting hour on Wednesday, August 19th. A single swift was accounted for during this rainy watch, entering the chimneyshortly before sunset to roost.
East Kildonan/Elmwood
Brookelyn observed the MMF Tower (T9) during roosting houron the 20th. Only a single entry was recorded early in the watch. After a predation event at this site the week prior, we feared one of the chicks had been captured; however, Alexia shared that two adults and two juveniles were seen recently on the camera!Our best guess is that there may have been more chicks in the nest than originally thought. We hope the parents can continue to raise these two chicks to successful fledging!
St. James
Cam watched the chimney at King’s Theatre on Portage Ave. for the first time this season on Friday, August 21st. Sadly, noChimney Swifts were recorded at or near the site during roosting hour.
Overall
Thanks for stopping by another Chimney Swift monitoring recap! Swifts across Manitoba appear to be preparing to movesouth as fledglings take to the skies and adults congregate in roosts. If you’re still itching to see swifts at a Priority Site, your best bet is likely a roost hour watch.
As always, a big thanks to our dedicated volunteers for continuing to share your observations! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for other news about monitoring and updates on Chimney Swift activity in the province. Catch you in the next one!
– Gibson (Program Assistant)
