SEASON FINALE - 2015 NATIONAL ROOST MONITORING PROGRAM MAPS

December heralds a suite of significant events. Celebratory occasions for people of many faiths take place this month. The winter solstice on December 21 marks the renewal of increasing daylight. As the calendar year closes, we should take pause and look back on the achievements made in the domain of chimney swifts this year...

To anchor a significant achievement, we have received a timely "gift" to share with you all. The 2015 National Roost Monitoring Program (NRMP) maps, which depict the spring monitoring data collected across Canada, have arrived. Special thanks to Diana Teal (Ontario SwiftWatch Coordinator, Bird Studies Canada), for preparing the maps. We also send our thanks to Celine Maurice (Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, Quebec) who organizes the NRMP and collates the national results.

The map files are too large to properly display on the this page, so click here for a pdf file of the original  national map, and click here for the Manitoba section only.
 
Many people have said how rewarding it has been to engage in a national monitoring initiative. It is truly an accomplishment to engage volunteer monitors throughout the chimney swift's summer range. Piecing together information from across the country helps us understand the biological substrate of this threatened species. So, as you view the abundance/distribution maps, keep this perspective - in Manitoba, we have fewer swifts dispersed in limited areas. As a result, you will notice our "circles" are smaller in diameter and fewer in number compared to the population hot-spots in Ontario and Quebec. That does not diminish the value of your efforts! Indeed, monitoring data collected in Manitoba is crucial to inform us about the swifts living at the periphery of the distribution. So, thank you again from all of us at MCSI for an accomplished 2015 season!

Looking ahead to the New Year, we hope to count you in the group of environmentally conscious, citizen scientists who will participate in 2016 activities. Our chimney swifts wintering in the Amazon are about three months away from starting their northern migration. To enumerate returning swifts in Canada, the 2016 NRMP is set for Wed. May 25, Sun. May 29, Thurs. June 2, and Mon. June 6 (MCSI may add another night - tbd). MCSI monitoring will continue throughout the summer to track nesting success and roost site dynamics. Questing crews will be searching for new habitat, in both urban and wilderness settings. The promise of rewarding experiences, which ultimately will benefit chimney swifts, is with us all.  

Wishing you the best of winter birding pleasures, Barb Stewart for the MCSI Team: Frank Machovec, webmaster; Tim Poole, Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator; Christian Artuso, Ron Bazin, Neil Butchard, Lewis Cocks, Ken De Smet, Nicole Firlotte, and Rob Stewart, Steering Committee Members.

Winnipeg Chimney Gets a Makeover

MCSI are keen to promote the protection of Chimney Swift breeding and roosting habitats here in Manitoba. In fact we are people obsessed with retaining old brick chimneys, unashamedly so, because without these structures we have no idea what the future would hold for swifts here in Manitoba.

Birds of prey will often nest in the same tree year on year and over generations. One spring, the breeding pair will return to find their old nest site has gone, having been blown over during a heavy storm. In this case, the breeding habitat is no longer suitable for the birds purpose and they move on to construct a new nest in a different tree. There are plenty of alternatives available in this case, but not necessarily when we consider the case of the Chimney Swift.

I have no idea whether Chimney Swifts would return to the same tree in Manitoba to nest or roost year on year, but given how they seem to find the same chimneys here in Manitoba, I suspect this would have been the case. Now Chimney Swifts in Manitoba, as far as we know, nest solely in old chimneys. Many of the chimneys that provide homes for Chimney Swifts are either more than 100 years old or swiftly approaching that milestone. This leads to a bit of a problem: chimneys are the most exposed part of any building, jutting out above the roofline and being more exposed to the slightly chilly effects of a Manitoban winter. Currently we are discovering that a number of these chimneys are deteriorating to the extent that they will need urgent repairs in the coming years if they are to continue to provide homes for swifts. Fortunately, thanks to funding from Environment Canada, we have been able to begin the process of repairing a few of these chimneys this fall and below I give a brief account of one of these chimneys.

Our first repair came about as the result of a chance encounter between a volunteer (and MCSI committee member) and a priest from a church he was monitoring. One evening in June, Christian Artuso was monitoring the chimney at St Anne’s Church on Hampton Street, Winnipeg, as part of the 4 day national roost monitoring scheme. Happy, after a successful evening with 2 entrances, Christian was suddenly faced with the awful prospect that this important habitat would be imminently destroyed. The priest explained that the chimney would be demolished due to safety concerns over degrading (and crumbling) mortar above the roofline. The church no longer used the chimney, they were unaware of the critical habitat it provided for swifts and therefore the obvious solution would be to remove the chimney before it collapsed in a residential area.

Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship and MCSI were able to intervene at this point, met with the church and came up with a plan of action to save the chimney and the nesting swifts. We employed a local mason to repair the chimney and made an agreement that the church would continue to retain this chimney for the swifts. From the following photos you can see that the chimney was rebuilt above the roofline and a crown added to the peak to add stability.

Above: Inside of chimney. No sign of the nest, so maybe it is either too low or already fallen?

Above: There is a second chimney on site. Previously it was assumed that this chimney was capped but this summer Chimney Swifts were observed entering it. If you look carefully you can see a entrance behind the flue, indicating that there are 2 flues on this chimney

Above: Completed chimney, well done Ed!

We would like to thank not only our funders at Environment Canada, but also Nicole Firlotte from Manitoba Conservation for establishing contact with the church and finally St Anne’s Church for their support in this endeavour, especially Richard Ludwick, the Deacon, who has been extremely helpful during this process.

Tim Poole

SEPTEMBER SEASON ENDER

SEPTEMBER SEASON ENDER - MCSI ROOST AND NEST SITE DATABASE 2014-2015; ST ADOLPHE NEST SITE SUMMARY 2015
All of your sore neck muscles, throbbing backs, and blurry vision endured at the chimney sites helps deliver monitoring data. Numbers. The currency of databases...
 

Here is a link to the results of our 2015 monitoring season - the MCSI Roost and Nest Site Database 2014-2015 has been posted on the MCSI website, in the Results section. This database lists all known roost and nest sites in Manitoba and the maximum number of chimney swifts seen entering or exiting the site. For 2015, chimneys were designated as roost or nest sites if sufficient information was available. This year we asked for extra "daytime" monitoring prior to the roosting hour for the last National Roost Monitoring Program night (June 1) and the MCSI Blitz Night (June 6); many monitors continued with observations during the breeding season. Daytime entries/exits distinguish a nest site. At roost sites, chimney swifts enter the site within 1/2 hour of sunset to rest for the night; departure is made within 1/2 hour of sunup the following morning.

If you want to look at monitoring results for previous years, the 2007-2014 database is still posted on the MCSI website, Results section, at: http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/2014_sites.pdf

It is easy to correct omissions/errors in the database. So, if you find that numbers have been lost in transcription, please submit corrections and all will be remedied. If you have data that has not winged it's way in yet, it is never too late to submit the results of your efforts.

A summary of the 2015 nest site outcomes in St. Adolphe is available too. It is also on the MCSI website, in the Results section.

Citizen science forms the basis of the chimney swift stewardship and outreach programs that MCSI develops. Thank you all for your significant contributions to our program this year - the swifts have been well served! Your gift of time and interest has helped us learn about the distribution, abundance, and biology (timing of arrivals, fledging etc.) of this threatened species in Manitoba. With your continued assistance, we will work to support chimney swift populations in Manitoba.

(photos by David Lavigne http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlavignephotography)

Let's keep in touch! 

Barb Stewart for the MCSI team: Webmaster, Frank Machovec; Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator, Tim Poole (mcsi.outreach@gmail.com); and fellow Steering Committee members - Christian Artuso, Ron Bazin, Neil Butchard, Lewis Cocks, Ken De Smet, Nicole Firlotte, and Rob Stewart.

Going, going...they're gone!

As September arrived, chimney swifts had departed from Manitoba once more. Our monitoring season has concluded with rewarding​ results. We contributed data to the third National Roost Monitoring Program (NRMP) which tracks the distribution and abundance of spring migrants (http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/natl_20132015.pdf). The national organizers are now collating and analyzing the various provincial datasets - stay tuned for their results. After the NRMP, our monitors continued chimney side vigils in the summer to track developments at roost and nest sites; the 2015 MCSI Roost and Nest Site Database will be posted online after it is updated. Through the efforts of folks tracking down swifts seen in their neighbourhoods, or by questing candidate chimneys in new locations, there was a record breaking 17 new sites discovered this year in Manitoba. Well done everyone!

The withdrawal of chimney swifts from roost sites and most nest sites generally occurred by mid-August. The roost site at Dauphin had 4 swifts on Aug. 7 but was empty by Aug. 12 (Ken and Jan). Matt relayed news that the nesting Carman swifts had departed by Aug. 10. The Assiniboine School roost in Winnipeg was down to 18 swifts on Aug. 2 (Jacquie and Frank); the last entry was seen on Aug. 14 when 1 of 4 swifts circling the chimney entered but left soon afterward, so no swifts stayed to roost (David, Adolf). Selkirk's large roost had: 29 swifts on Aug 3; 43 on Aug 10; 8 on Aug 17; and 0 on Aug 24; also empty on Aug. 24 were two other smaller Selkirk chimneys = Yellow Brick and Infirmary (August monitors = Carol, Dorothy, Gerald, James, Robert, Virginia, and Winona). Despite the general absence of swifts in communities by Aug. 24, 4 swifts roosted for the night in the small chimney at the Women's Jail, Portage (Gord).

In mid- to late-August, a newly erected tower at the Old Grace Hospital site on Evanson St. in Wolseley did not attract any swifts during the pre-migratory and migratory phases. Special thanks to all of the monitors who stared down the tower rim on short notice - Adolf, Christian, David, Frank, Jacquie, Meg, Stephen, and Tim.

Successful fledging was reported from three communities this year in addition to the previously noted lift-off from the Church in St. Adolphe. In Brandon, an intensive amount of monitoring of Site 900 was done by Margaret, Millie, and Louanne who viewed juveniles on the wing. The peak roosting count was 5 swifts on Aug. 17 - the fledging count is likely 3. In Portage, Gordon and Janice watched the Trinity Church throughout the season and fledging occurred around the same time as for Brandon, about Aug. 8-12. A peak count of 5 swifts at Trinity Church (Janice, Aug. 24) suggests that 3 juveniles fledged from that site also. In La Broquerie, David followed developments at the Church and observed a juvenile entry on Aug. 14. The next night (Aug. 15), the roosting hour headcount was 6 swifts, with many noticeable juvenile entries being made - nominally, 4 juveniles fledged; 6 swifts were still roosting at the successful nest site on Aug. 24. The peak count at the St. Adolphe Church was 7, a week after the first sighting of 2 fledglings on Aug. 1. So, of the four successful nest sites followed in 2015, there were 3, 3, 4, and 5 fledglings who lifted off. Paul reported that the Darlingford site was very active with feeding entries/exits on Aug. 10, so it is hopeful that juveniles fledged from that chimney eventually.

The last observations of swifts on the wing came in from three different communities. Christian saw his last for the season over the river in St James, Winnipeg, on Aug. 26.  In the afternoon of Aug. 29, Robert saw 2 swifts flying over his Selkirk residence. That night, Gerald and Robert were monitoring nighthawks in Selkirk when 2 swifts flew over the Infirmary and Big Red Brick chimneys. Three swifts were seen in the vicinity for a few minutes before disappearing. Finally, an afternoon sighting of a juvenile over the United Church in Portage, on Aug. 31, by Carrie and Tim closed the reports for 2015. 

We wish all the swifts - adults and fledglings - a safe and speedy migration to the wintering grounds in the Amazon. Best wishes and thanks are sent also to all of you who we called upon to monitor, quest, and engage in chimney swift stewardship throughout 2015. I will send out an update with the completed database shortly, then Tim will have some habitat stewardship and outreach updates over the winter. In the spring, it will be time to welcome you back to the chimney sides for 2016, our tenth chimney swift monitoring season. Time flies...

All the best in birding, Barb.

The end is fast approaching!

The end is fast approaching! Ok, not quite that end but we are almost at a point where the chattering will cease, the skies above will empty of our ‘flying cigars’, temperatures will drop and there will be an 8 month hiatus in cases of severe neck strain across Manitoba. Yes, that’s right, the swifts will be gone and an empty void will fill our lives.

For most of us the fall migration of Chimney Swifts is the time to take a well-earned rest. For some of us the real work will begin as the last swift makes its first steps across forest, lake, sea and prairie to the sun-filled uplands of South America. Why might this be? Firstly, to protect the Chimney Swift nests we are unable to access chimneys for cleaning and repair until the 1st September. By having a range of dates where activities are restricted around the chimney of a building, we can protect the nests and broods as well as prevent any disturbance to roosting birds. We are thus hoping to have a few repair projects this fall, with more to follow at a later date.

Secondly, we are hoping to launch a new scheme in the back of this year called ‘Swift Champions’. A Swift Champion might refer to a building owner or even individual or groups of volunteers. The criteria we laid out for this in the 3rd of our factsheets but is summarized below:

•    Limit chimney closures e.g. capping and lining
•    Clean your chimney regularly
•    Repair rather than demolish your chimney
•    Prevent access to a lined chimney by capping it
•    Refrain from using your heating system from mid-May to late August
•    Keep cleanout trap closed
•    Avoid renovating roof from mid-May to the end of August
•    Manage noise by closing the damper tightly and packing insulation inside
•    Seal off access within the building during the breeding season
•    Avoid over-pruning trees or large shrubs on your property
•    Advocate wetland protection
•    Monitor chimneys on your property
•    Volunteer to monitor individual chimneys on other properties
•    Volunteer to monitor groups of chimneys in your area
•    Assess chimneys in your area both for Chimney Swift potential and for any damage
•    Take part in the National Roost Monitoring Scheme
•    Allow MCSI volunteers access to monitor Chimney Swifts on your property
•    Allow MCSI volunteers access to the cleanout trap on your property

 

We plan to score candidates against this criteria. Each Swift Champion will be awarded with a plaque of an image designed by local designer Richard Cain. As volunteers for the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative we need your help with this process by nominating suitable candidates for the ‘Swift Champion’ program. If you have any ideal candidates, whether it is the owners and managers of buildings you are involved in monitoring or whether it is the work of exceptional volunteers in your area, please let us know.

 

We have another important matter for anyone still plugging away monitoring for a few more weeks. Please can you pay close attention to the state of the chimney you are monitoring? It is clear that there are a few which are in need of some repairs. There will be a new blog post soon, but for example see this photo of a chimney in Winnipeg which has records of use by swifts in the not-too-distant past. The cracks around the bricks are where the mortar has begun to crumble due to erosion, probably caused by the slightly chilly winters we can experience here in Manitoba. If you see any signs of this types of damage or any other potential damage please let us know.
 
You can find out more information by contacting our Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator Tim Poole on mcsi.outreach@gmail.com or 204-943-9029.

An August Update AND a Video!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015. The day started with promise. It was a lovely, sun-drenched morning with light winds. What a perfect start to a once in a lifetime experience which followed. After 9 monitoring seasons involving over 1,000 hours of chimney rim staring, I witnessed fledging for the first time!

Here is a synopsis of the monitoring session at the St. Adolphe Catholic Church, which spanned 8:50 to 10:50 AM:

8:50 monitoring session starts

8:51:29 exit

9:02:30 entry
9:04:54 exit

9:06:47 entry
9:16:20 entry (2 adults in now)

9:19:10 exit, exit (2 adults out together)
9:19:33 exit = low, fluttery wing beats = A FLEDGLING - JUVENILE No. 1; 2 adults and juvenile no. 1 fly together east, low over cemetery with the adults leading

9:34 juvenile and 1 adult fly together low over cemetery with the adult leading

9:41:XX exit = JUVENILE No. 2

9:47:03 juvenile flies north to south, alone
10:07:05 juvenile (can see intact wing margins) overhead west to east, alone

10:17 three swifts fly east to west on approach to chimney rim
10:17:45 2 adults enter + 1 juvenile misses entry - see the video link; juvenile flies to N then NE
10:17:55 1 adult exits and flies toward the juvenile
10:18:37 1 adult exits to SE

10:19 1 adult and 1 juvenile fly north of Church

10:39:45 entry; fast, easy = adult
10:40:47 exit; adult - see moulting on trailing wing edge

10:45 adult with juvenile following closely (within 1/2 body length) approach the chimney rim from the east
10:45:54 entry by adult; entry by slightly hesitant juvenile
10:46:43 exit by adult; fast, to east

10:50 monitoring session stops. Four consecutive exits indicated two fledglings were airborne this morning. Slow, fluttery flying and intact wing margins supported the identification of juveniles. Viewing a missed entry into the chimney was a bonus and there is footage of this amazing event!

Follow this link (to YouTube) to view a short video clip of two adult chimney swifts leading a fledgling back to the home chimney at the St. Adolphe Catholic Church ~ 10:17 am, Saturday, August 1, 2015.

It takes more than good luck to make the most of a chimney swift monitoring season which captures such rare events. Many people support my swift watching habits and reports. THANKS to Rob, Duncan, and Ryan who are my puppy-sitting and tech support team. THANKS also to Frank for bringing all the news to you as our webmaster. Much appreciated early season monitoring support for the five St. Adolphe nest sites came from Ken, Lewis, Roberta, Frank, Jacquie, Kathy, and Rob.

Now jumping back to the days leading up to fledging day, adult activity at the Church nest site was high. Monitoring sessions which took place in the morning, for at least an hour, between 8:30 and 11:30 showed: 6 entry/exit cycles an hour - July 26; 7 entry/exit cycles an hour - July 30; and 7 entry/exit cycles an hour - July 31. After fledging, a "robust roosting hour" session on Aug. 3 did not pick up an increased head count - two adults roosted for the night; it may take several days before the youngsters are out foraging during the evening. Once the pesky string of nighttime thunder storms subsides, another attempt will be made to get a post-fledging count to confirm the number of fledglings at the Church nest site.

Despite the very good outcome at the Church, overall, the 2015 nesting season has been problematic for the St. Adolphe chimney swifts. Of 5 available nest sites in town, only 4 were occupied this year. Breeding adults returned later in May than in most previous years and nest building began close to (or after) the June 1 "cut-off" date for possible successful outcomes. Indeed, the Brodeur Bros. pair was the last to start their nest around June 7-9 and was one of the unsuccessful couples. Nest failures are indicated when breeding adults stop using the chimneys during the daytime. This occurred at: Main St. between July 7-12; Brodeur Bros. on July 14; and at the NE Club Amical between July 17-24.

What went wrong with the nesting attempts in 2015? Heavy rain storms seemed to arrive weekly and the Main St. swifts stopped using the chimney within a day of a Saturday night deluge.​ Nests can wash off the interior surfaces of chimneys and insects (chimney swift food) can be washed out of the air column with sustained rains. Insect abundance can also be reduced by prolonged weather patterns involving high temperature/humidity - these systems cannot be controlled. Reduced food availability also may be related to insecticide use. The St. Adolphe area lies within the mosquito abatement area for the City of Winnipeg and it is also embedded in agricultural lands where soybean aphids are controlled through the aerial spraying.

It will take a lot of intensive study to tease apart the contributing factors to nest failures. However, based on the recent monitoring results in St. Adolphe, it appears that the general population decline of chimney swifts may not be occurring entirely due to the lack of habitat.

Now to add in monitoring data from other communities...more good news flew in from Margaret and Millie and their alternate monitor Louanne. They have been rewarded for their diligent nightly sessions at Site 900 in Brandon. On August 3, 8 entry/exit cycles were made before 2 adults roosted for the night. On August 4, roosting hour observations indicated an entry by an inexperienced swift ~ likely a juvenile. Between 9:17-9:18 PM, Millie and Margaret noted " Two attempts i.e. a dive and a pull-up. Finally made it into the chimney on the third attempt." It is likely that the 2015 nesting attempt at this Brandon site has been successful!

Monitoring of roost sites indicated an increase in chimney swift abundance by mid-July. Roosting hour counts at Assiniboine School = 34 on July 1 and 69 on July 19. In Selkirk, the big roost had 19 swifts in for the night of July 20 and 28 swifts in for the night of July 27. The swifts are on the move now...

By mid-August, a profound redistribution of the Manitoba chimney swift population will take place. In St. Adolphe, successful fledging seems to trigger a "release" of unsuccessful adults from the community. In previous years, the local birds have gathered at the Church (when the site had successful fledging) or left the community altogether (this happened in years with poor food supply = extremely low rates of entry/exit cycles = low feeding rates of juveniles, which resulted in the majority of nesting attempts failing). Ken, in Dauphin, usually expects his swifts to be gone from the roost site by August 18.

So, if you want to enjoy some "last looks" before the swifts head south, head out to your favourite chimney soon!

Happy swifting, Barb.

2015 NATIONAL ROOST MONITORING PROGRAM (NRMP) AND MCSI BLITZ NIGHT DATABASE

To all of the monitors involved in the 2015 National Roost Monitoring Program (NRMP) and MCSI Blitz Night: this is a BIG SHOUTOUT OF THANKS! This spring, we had approximately 56 volunteers - who devoted 284 hours of their time - to monitor 45 sites in 14 different Manitoba communities. Outstanding work everyone!

Collectively, your 2015 monitoring represents a significant increase in "effort" compared to 2014 when we had 35 monitors, who spent 79 hours monitoring 23 sites in 11 communities. By any metric you care to choose ~ the number of monitors or the number of hours contributed by each monitor or the number of sites and communities monitored ~ more people devoted more hours monitoring more sites in 2015. What made the difference? We were successful in reaching out and recruiting more personal friends to help us out this year. Also, the availability of volunteers who previously were involved with the Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas made a huge difference in the ability to monitor more chimney swift sites.

The 2015 database for the NRMP and MCSI Blitz Night tabulates the maximum number of roosting chimney swifts at a site; the valuable but frustrating "0's" are included.  Results reflect roosting hour observations (1 hour) made for: NRMP-1 on MAY 20; NRMP-2 on MAY 24; NRMP-3 on MAY 28 and "robust roosting hour" observations (1.5 hour; daytime use just prior to the roosting hour helped distinguish roost vs. nest sites) made for NRMP-4 on JUNE 1 (ALTERNATE DATE JUNE 2) AND MCSI BLITZ NIGHT on JUNE 6 (ALTERNATE DATE JUNE 5). Additional data for dates close to the "official" monitoring evenings are included for sites where monitors cover more than one geographic area e.g., Frank and Jacquie monitor St. Adolphe and Otterburne swifts. Results for the 2013 and 2014 NRMP are shown for comparison to 2015.

​The MCSI ROOST/NEST SITE DATABASE will be compiled and posted later this fall.( Click here for the 2007-2014 version. ) This database summarizes the maximum number of chimney swifts entering a site, so it includes a wider range of data that come from: roosting hour and daytime monitoring sessions; formal monitoring and opportunistic observations of roost/nest sites; monitoring historically used sites known to us; and new sites discovered through your deliberate efforts to follow and quest for swifts e.g., tracking birds in Winnipeg and searching for chimneys in rural areas such as Darlingford, Melita, and Souris. ​

The success of the MCSI program is based on volunteer citizen scientists. We are very grateful to include you among our supporters. Thanks again for collecting the data which enables us to better understand the biology of the birds. That knowledge about swifts, and the habitat they occupy, is the foundation for the implementation of habitat stewardship and outreach programs. Chimney swifts in Manitoba are well served by your efforts!

Let's stay in touch as the swifts close out their 2015 season with us. Most fledging should take place in the last week of July through the first week of August. Pre-migratory redistributions can start as early as the first week of August e.g., in Dauphin. By mid-August, most of our chimney swifts will be migrating south. Your observations and monitoring reports are welcome at any time.

Barb Stewart for the MCSI Steering Committee: Christian Artuso, Ron Bazin, Neil Butchard, Lewis Cocks, Ken De Smet, Nicole Firlotte and Rob Stewart, plus our MCSI Habitat Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator, Tim Poole, and our webmaster, Frank Machovec. 

JULY UPDATE: FIELD IDENTIFICATION OF ADULT CHIMNEY SWIFTS IN THE SUMMER RANGE

All birds replace worn and damaged feathers through the annual moulting process. For chimney swifts in Manitoba, the summer moult overlaps with breeding activities. Feather replacement is an energy consuming affair for all birds, but it further taxes breeding swifts. For general information, Steve Howell (Peterson Reference Guide to Molt in North American Birds; 2010) has an interesting chapter on moulting in various species of the swift family (Apodidae).  For detailed technical information, Peter Pyle wrote the bible on plumage and moult characteristics which enables ageing/sexing of birds (Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part 1. Slate Creek Press, Bolinas, California; 1997). Chimney swifts are a challenge to study - they are fast fliers, both sexes are similar in appearance, and the birds roost/nest in remote locations where we cannot see them. However, we can get glimpses of the birds as they enter/exit chimney sites and dash about feeding. As obligate aerial insectivores - chimney swifts MUST feed on insect prey collected in the air. It is essential for swifts to remain capable of flying, so they have a gradual, protracted moult. Some birds such as ducks, swans, and grebes, replace their feathers synchronously over a short period e.g., two week period, which renders them flightless. As chimney swifts have one moult per year they have one definitive adult plumage which is called the "definitive basic". Birds which have two moults per year e.g., Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, have two definitive plumages per year -  the definitive basic (adult winter) and definitive alternate (adult breeding) (http://ofo.ca/site/page/view/articles.plumages). As our monitoring season continues, so does the swift's moulting. ​ For monitors in Manitoba, moult characteristics become an important way to distinguish fledglings from adults. Most fledging takes place toward the end of July and into the first week of August, and it is useful to identify juveniles to help estimate nesting success. The flight of newly fledged chimney swifts is characterized by: flying at low altitudes, rapid wing beats for slow air speed, large banking turns, and, occasionally, difficult entries to chimneys (yes, they do miss the opening and tumble down the outside face!). However, within several days post-fledging, young swifts are proficient fliers and they are not easy to distinguish from adults based on flight competency alone. So how do you distinguish juveniles vs. adults? The best way is to look for evidence of moulting on the trailing wing margins. Juveniles will have intact margins while adults will have discontinuities and gaps due to worn and missing feathers. To illustrate how the trailing wing margin changes over time, Dave Lavigne has once again generously provided very informative photos of adult chimney swifts (see Dave's new site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlavignephotography ).   Many thanks Dave for sharing your images with us all! The trio of photos, taken in Goderich, ON, clearly shows the change in appearance of the trailing wing margins from May through mid-July. For each image, the typical stage of nesting for Manitoba breeding adults, is indicated after the date on which Dave took the photo: ​A. May 23, 2015. Chimney swifts arrive in Manitoba around this time. B. June 11, 2015. Chimney swifts in Manitoba are nest building and incubating eggs. C. July 10, 2015. Breeding chimney swifts in Manitoba are feeding hatched young. If you start watching the swift's trailing wing margins, you will be ready to identify and greet newly fledged juveniles in a couple of weeks. Enjoy the challenge!

Chimney Swift Update for early July

July has arrived with sizzling heat, storms, and a record number of forest fires across the prairies. Over the last week, Manitoba has experienced blankets of smoke from Saskatchewan blazes. The unexpected bonus of the dense smoke may have been easier foraging for the swifts - even in afternoons with high temperature (>28 C), strong winds, and high humidity, insects seemed to be held to low levels in the air column. Frequent daytime sightings of roof top level feeding by swifts, swallows, and martins were seen in St. Adolphe while the smoke was present.

Backing up to May, I need to offer my apologies to Millie and Margaret in Brandon. Their NRMP-2 and NRMP-3 reports were buried, in what seemed to be an impenetrable chasm of my computer, and were not reported in previous monitoring updates. The now excavated data are: 2 swifts roosted on May 24, which was the first occupancy for 2015; and 4 swifts roosted on May 28, which was the season maximum - 8 swifts also were seen in the air at the end of the evening and their roosting destination was unknown. For the subsequent NRMP-4 and the Manitoba Blitz nights, a pair of swifts were busy nest building and they were the only birds in the chimney for the night. I hope the nesting activity in Brandon is still ongoing. On Saturday, July 4, torrential rains were widespread in the province and these events can wash nests off the interior face of chimneys.

Fortunately, all the established nests in St. Adolphe made it through the 70 mm deluge. Here is the season summary for St. Adolphe to date ~ of FIVE available nest sites, FOUR are occupied in 2015 - no chsw are using the SE Club Amical chimney. Interestingly, no late June immigrants have arrived in town this year. THREE stages of nesting were evident over TWO days this week. On July 6, the NE Club Amical and Main St. pairs were feeding brooded young (up to 6-7 days of age). On July 7, the Church pair was feeding non-brooded young (older than 6-7 days of age) and at Brodeur Bros., incubation continues. The ONE unifying theme for the breeding activity is VARIATION.

For any given season, there is no absolute synchrony to nesting. Even for a close knit community such as St. Adolphe, on a given date you can expect breeding pairs of swifts, at different sites, to be at different stages of nesting. This variation reflects the time of spring arrival, the start of nest building, and clutch size (usually 2-7 eggs are laid; incubation starts with the second last egg laid). Between-years, you will see differences in site occupancy, nesting success rates, clutch sizes, and the number of fledglings per nest site. Weather and insect availability are important factors in nesting outcomes.

Monitoring data can determine the stages of nesting as each stage is characterized by a different frequency and sequence of entries/exits. Backtrack to previous BlogSpot updates (postings on June 5, 8, and 24) for the explanations of nesting stages plus how to calculate the duration in (or partner change-up) and between visit intervals. If you have monitoring data for your nest site(s) that you would like help interpreting, please be in touch - help is only an email away.

Frank and Jacquie continue to monitor the Providence College chimneys in Otterburne. The swifts there are not faring as well as the birds in St. Adolphe. To recap, all three Providence chimneys were occupied on June 8. There were: 2 roosting entries to the chimney south of the bell tower; 2 roosting entries to the large chimney; plus entry/exit cycles which indicated nest building and 3 roosting entries to the skinny chimney. On the evening of July 5 (the night after the massive storm), no swifts roosted at the chimney south of the bell tower and at the large chimney. Only 2 entries by roosting swifts were made at the skinny chimney; further monitoring will indicate if the nesting attempt has failed.

​

​ Back to good news of opportunistic observations. Paul and Valorie's June 30 posting on Manitobabirds indicated 2 westbound swifts were over the old post office in Morden. Our database has 325 Stephen St. listed as Site 1400, but no official monitoring has been done. ​We would welcome further reports about Morden swifts!

​Your July sightings and monitoring data will help us track chimney swift activity in the province throughout the summer...

All the best for your birding experiences, Barb.

Canada Day and there's much to celebrate!

CANADA DAY - a time to celebrate our land, the bounty of natural resources it contains, and the people who devote their time and energy as environmental stewards. Your recent reports contained notable events which should be celebrated: the re-establishment of nest sites; a newly identified area of occupation; and the identification of a record number of new, active chimney swift sites.  

The "no see-um" swifts in Carman apparently morphed into stealth swifts. Characteristic chittering sounds first alerted Matt to the bird's presence once more. Then it took a monitoring session at 0515 AM, on June 18, for Matt to confirm that a pair were established again in the small private residence in town. A third bird may be onsite also.

Confirmed daytime sightings of chimney swifts over the Fort La Reine Museum grounds, on the east side of Portage La Prairie, were made by Bob on Sunday, June 21. Mid-week, Gordon checked the chimney of Hourie House out in the early afternoon and then with Louise in the evening; both times, starlings were identified as the nesting species in the chimney. Further sleuthing is required to locate a chimney swift nest/roost sites in the Fort La Reine area.

Retirement is proving to be fulfilling for Jake. Between June 22-28, he discovered a cluster of three new sites in Fort Rouge! Pairs of chimney swifts were documented entering: 100 Roslyn Rd (Blackstone Apts; site no. 2015-14); 395 River Ave (The Biltmore; site no. 2015-15); and 94 Roslyn Rd (Leslie Ironside House; site no. 2015-16). A big thank you is sent to Jake for his determined efforts in locating these chimneys. We also appreciate David and Adolf for facilitating Jake's contact with MCSI.

In East Kildonan, Garry discovered another site in the "hub" area around Brazier St/Henderson Hwy which is monitored by Rudolf. Garry saw a pair of swifts enter 712 Watt St ~ site no. 2015-17 ~ just before curfew on June 13. The swifts entered the chimney with only a minute to spare before the end of the roosting hour. Thank you Garry for tracking these birds for over a week then staking out this site!

At nest sites in July, incubated eggs will hatch soon. Then the breeding adults will enter the energy-demanding stage of feeding their young. ​On the morning of June 30, at the St. Adolphe Church, the breeding pair had two change-ups in ~100 minutes of monitoring. One between-visit interval was ~30 minutes and the other was ~60 minutes. The adults may be feeding brooded juveniles...more observations are required to verify hatching.

Happy Canada Day to you all! Hopefully, some enjoyable chimney swift moments will be part of your celebrations.

The Major Upside and Lowdown Report

June 24, 2015 MCSI Update ~ The Major Upside and Lowdown Report: twig collections, new site discoveries, and incubation is underway!

Since our last update, for the fifth and final formal 2015 monitoring session (MCSI Blitz Night June 6 - alternate date of June 5), your efforts have led to some remarkable observations and new site discoveries. Your data have shown that roosting chimney swifts appear to be redistributing themselves from some spring roosts. At nest sites, chimney swifts have laid eggs and are incubating them now ~ a monitoring primer will follow, using the St. Adolphe flock as a template for what you may see elsewhere in the province.

Ashley had golden moments in St. Vital. On June 19, a chimney swift "landed" on a huge oak tree in her front yard for about 5 seconds. After take off, the swift circled and repeated the short-lived "touch and go" landing while a second swift circled about and chittered. On Father's Day (June 21), the same behavior took place between 5-6 PM. Ashley was ready for a closer look: the chimney swifts "were branch bouncing, and going for the tips of the branches. What a sight to see!" The swifts were collecting twigs for nest building. Now the challenge is on to find the nearby nest site!

Paul and Valorie travelled to Darlingford and have put that community on the chimney swift map - congratulations on documenting the entries of 2 swifts into the Darlingford School Heritage Museum on June 18! This is the ninth new site identified for 2015.

The news of three more new site discoveries, for our MCSI database, arrived after a flock of observers spread out in Melita on June 22! I am sorry the names of all the observers have not winged their way in yet - we hope to thank you all in person soon. The new Melita sites are:

2015-10: Antler River Historical Society; 3 swifts entered

2015-11: Legion Memorial Hall; 3 swifts entered

2015-12: Melita and Area Health Centre; 2 swifts entered

Moving on to roost sites, we mentioned previously that the Dauphin peak seems to have occurred around June 1 with ~30 swifts, as on June 6 only 15 swifts roosted for the night. In Winnipeg, it took a week longer for numbers to peak and decline at the Assiniboine School; ~166 roosted on June 6 (~122 roosted on June 1) whereas ~80 swifts roosted on June 14 and June 17.

In review (from the June 8 BlogSpot featuring Dave Lavigne's photo of a swift carrying a twig), during the nest building stage, a breeding pair of chimney swifts will collect 8-12 twigs per day. Using sticky salivary gland secretions, the twigs are attached to the rough interior of a nest site to form a cup shaped nest. After a week, the female starts to lay eggs (Kyle and Kyle, 2005). However, the nest cup is considerably undersized at this point so the pair continues to bring in nesting material through the incubation period (Kyle and Kyle, 2005).  Nest building in Manitoba begins shortly after the spring migrants arrive. So, there is between year variation in the date of onset, but nest building typically starts around May 22 (range is May 10 for early arrivals to June 25 for late arriving pairs)(see Stewart and Stewart 2013 - http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/2013_BlueJay.pdf​ ). The spring arrival of the swifts was delayed by poor weather in 2015 and your monitoring data showed nest building was off to a slow start. During nest building, you will not always see the breeding pair travel together; they may enter or exit the site individually. The duration in the chimney and the between-visit interval varies considerably at 1 to 70 min and from 1 to 50 min, respectively (see Stewart and Stewart, 2010 - http://www.mbchimneyswift.ca/Documents/bluejay2010.pdf ).

On to egg laying and incubation: the Kyle's work in Texas has shown that mating occurs inside the chimney and copulation occurs daily. Eggs are laid every second day and incubation starts with the second last egg; the clutch size varies between 2-7. Both adults share incubation duties which last 18-21 days.

In St. Adolphe, we noted clutch sizes ranging from 3 to 7 eggs. For nesting attempts between 2007-2013, the median date when incubation started was June 26 (range from June 3 to July 16 for late arriving pairs = 43 day range).

Monitoring data can be tricky to interpret during the egg laying stage. During incubation, monitoring can be downright tedious when the swifts are "tight on their eggs". Some recently collected data can be used to explain these concepts.

On Sunday, June 21, I savoured a solstice moment and watched the Club Amical chimneys between 11:15 AM and 12:55 PM (100 minutes). No entry/exit events were seen for the SE chimney. This is what happened in the NE chimney: entry at 11:34:21; exit at 11:52:33; entry at 12:24:10; entry at 12:32:04; exit at 12:32:43; exit at 12:43:16. For the first entry/exit sequence, the duration in the chimney was about 18 minutes. The time from the exit to the subsequent entry yielded a between-visit interval of ~32 minutes. The consecutive entries and exits toward the end of the observation period indicate that the pair were out of the chimney together and the nest site was unattended.  Nest building was underway at this site on June 1, so egg laying might have started around June 10 and incubation of a large clutch of 7 would start by June 24. When I watched on June 21, the NE Club pair were likely transitioning from egg laying to incubation.

Classic incubation behaviour is seen when an entry is made and an exit follows quickly - within 30 seconds to 1 or 2 minutes; this typically occurs once per hour. Remember that the adults are sharing duties - the incoming partner takes over sitting on the eggs so the outgoing partner has a chance to forage. This explains the answer to a question I asked often in the early days - "why would a swift bother to come in to a chimney if it leaves so quickly?" -  IT'S NOT THE SAME BIRD LEAVING.  The "duration in" interval can be viewed as the "turnaround" time for partner exchange during incubation.

At the Church on Tuesday, June 23, I watched for 60 minutes between 6:40 PM and 7:40 PM. At 7:20:21 a swift entered; at 7:21:06 a swift exited the chimney. Nice - keep those eggs warm! But the tedious part is that you watch for an hour to see one entry and one exit separated by 44 seconds! Blink and you can miss all the action.

On Wednesday, June 24 in the early afternoon, I was fortunate to see another classic incubation exchange at the Main St. site; an entry took place then an exit occurred 46 seconds later. Then I shifted to watch the last site in town. The Brodeur Bros. pair left the site unattended for a 13 minute period; one swift then spent 38 minutes in the chimney before it was joined by it's partner; one swift left the site 10 minutes later (exit, entry, entry, exit in 70 minutes of monitoring).

The bottom line for St. Adolphe this week = 4 of 5 nest sites are occupied; the breeding pairs at 2 sites (NE Club and Brodeur Bros.) are transitioning from egg laying to incubation; and the breeding pairs at 2 sites (Church and Main St.) are well established at the incubation stage.

For the days ahead: the transition from incubation to hatching is subtle - you typically will see two entry/exit cycles per hour as feeding brooded juveniles takes place; partners share brooding also, so the "entry to exit" time intervals are still for turnarounds. After 6-7 days, the youngsters can regulate their own body temperature and can be left unattended in the nest. So for feeding non-brooded juveniles (which occurs 3-4 times per hour in Manitoba), both adults may be out of the chimney - in which case the "entry to exit" intervals then return to single bird "duration in" scenarios. Fledging takes place with the first flight outside of the chimney, 28-30 days after hatching.

Confused? That is understandable. The world of nesting chimney swifts becomes simpler, after you spend some time looking at your data, while wrapping your head around what is actually going on inside the chimney. If you have any monitoring observations that need decoding, send them in as help is always available. The important thing is to ENJOY watching the chimney swifts. Document what you see and interpretation can follow.

We hope nest sites remain active through to fledging time in early August. The dynamics at roost sites will also change in August as the swifts prepare to migrate south. Until then, there is a lot of interesting chimney swift activity to experience. Your observations will be welcome!

Happy summer swifting, Barb.

Update after the National Monitoring Program Evenings

The formal phase of the 2015 monitoring season finished on Saturday, June 6, with a special MCSI Blitz Night. Monitors were rewarded with many interesting sightings and we all learned a lot about what it means to be a chimney swift in Manitoba. THANK YOU to everyone who made our program so successful! Many of you persevered through cold, rain, and apparently fruitless evenings of staring at a chimney rim where no swifts appeared. I cannot stress enough that data points of "0" are very informative, particularly in the context of between-year use of a chimney.

Before heading to the monitoring update, there is an erratum to declare: on the original datasheets posted on the website, I made a mistake in the return e-dress and you would have found (as Dennis did!) that the hot link would bounce. The spelling mistake has been corrected to the proper return address of "mbchimneyswift@gmail.com". Thanks to our webmaster Frank for making a fast fix! Use the corrected forms for any subsequent monitoring this year.

​Now for some news updates...

A. ADDITIONAL REPORTS FOR NRMP-4 (MONDAY, JUNE 1) AND SIGHTINGS FOR JUNE 2-4:

Quinn has followed the developments at a Beresford Ave site in Fort Rouge - the peak of roosting swifts came on June 1 when 4 swifts entered the chimney.

In St-Jean-Baptiste, Luc noted that 3 swifts roosted on June 1.

We welcomed Dennis as the monitor for the Steinbach Hospital on June 1; of the 5 swifts in the area, 3 roosted for the night.

Ken K., in Wasagaming, saw 4 chsw around the Riding Mountain National Park Visitor's Centre on June 2 - 2 swifts roosted for the night.

Matt, in Carman, had no sightings on June 3 and again on June 4.

​EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS WERE REPORTED FOR SOURIS. In early June, Ken De Smet spotted chsw in town. This prompted Cal, Colin, and Gillian to check things out on June 4 and we are glad they did. Twelve chsw were flying about Souris and by the end of the roosting hour, 4 new active sites were identified! Cal Cuthbert's "manitobabirds" posting summarizes the sleuthing: 

This evening (June 4) Colin Blyth, Gillian Richards and myself drove out to the town of Souris to check out the Chimney Swifts reported earlier in the week by Ken DeSmet. We were not disappointed as the most we saw at any one time was 12. We arrived about 19:40 and watched till 22:05 when the last of the swifts were seen. While swift sightings in Souris are not new actually seeing birds dropping into chimneys would be so we were on a mission. The following is a quick breakdown of our findings:

The Uptown Lounge & Restaurant on 1st St. S & 5th Av W - 4 seen dropping into the large chimney

The Chocolate Shop Cafe on 6th Av W - 2 seen dropping into the E side chimney (smallish one) while at least one dropped into one of the chimneys on the W side of the building.

The residential white house #80 on 5th Av W had at least one drop in.

A few "almost entries" were seen at a nearby residence but no actual drop ins noted.     

Any additional monitoring reports for these, and other newly discovered Souris sites, would be welcome over the summer!

B. ​RESULTS FOR THE MCSI BLITZ NIGHT (SATURDAY JUNE 6; ALTERNATE DATE JUNE 5):

1. Rudolf was kept busy in East Kildonan, Winnipeg, watching up to 17 swifts. It is a feat to monitor 3 chimneys simultaneously, but Rudolf documented activity at the Curtis Hotel = our fourth new site of the season, 1010 Brazier, and 1030 Brazier. Many thanks Rudolf for your efforts in discovering all three of these active chimneys for us during the 2014-2015 seasons!

2. Christian had a similar wild ride while watching the Hampton St. church, in St. James, where 7 swifts entered each of two sides of the chimney (a new revelation!).

3. Bob and Valerie, at New Silver Heights in St. James, had a pair enter late in the daytime period (separated by a couple of minutes); ~forty minutes later, one entry and a subsequent quick exit suggested an "unwelcome" roosting attempt was made by a third swift.

4. David, Kathy, Jake and 2 friends saw 166 swifts enter the Assiniboine School = a new record and 2015 season high; migration/local dispersal had not peaked yet. On June 5, mid-day, entry/exit activity at the old Kings Theatre = a nest site is in progress.

5. PL and Rob got skunked AGAIN at Chancellor's U of M. They had a consistent "no-show" season.

6. In Wolseley, getting skunked was also trending - Meg saw no swifts on June 6 (same as for June 2). 

7. Jane also is a member of the unfortunate skunk club - no swifts have appeared near the Assiniboine Conservatory this season.

8. Back out west in Carman, Matt still saw no swifts but his consolation came with the sighting of one nighthawk and a flock of cedar waxwings.

9. Interestingly, Quinn had no action at his Beresford Ave, Fort Rouge site, which had 4 swifts roosting for the night on June 1 (NRMP-4). We are not sure if this represents a short term change of location or if the site has been abandoned. Further monitoring will clarify the situation.

10. At another Fort Rouge site, Pierre and Tim saw 2 swifts enter the Leisure Centre, however, 5 swifts were seen in the area feeding on a "bountiful supply of mosquitoes". Ah, the monitoring challenges increase.

11. On to good developments - out west in Brandon, Margaret and Millie, saw one exit and four entry/exit cycles before 2 swifts roosted for the night; a well established pair of swifts were nest building.

12. To the east, David in La Broquerie saw a classic event - a pair of swifts approached the chimney rim and one dropped in as the second swift flew by - it returned several minutes later; 2 exits followed; and then 2 roosting entries were made at this active nest site.

13. Closeby in Steinbach, Dennis saw 3 swifts and 2 of them roosted at the hospital chimney.

14. At our southernmost nest site, St-Jean-Baptiste, Luc's observations indicated nest building was underway - there was a daytime exit and a pair of swifts roosted for the night. 

15. In St. Adolphe, pairs of swifts were nest building at the NE Club Amical, Church, and Main St. chimneys; the Brodeur Bros. site was used by a pair roosting for the night; the SE Club Amical chimney was not used at all - if a pair arrives at this site, timing issues will result in an unsuccessful nesting attempt.

16. Ruby and the Selkirk squad reported: 52 roosting swifts at the Tall Chimney; 2 entries and 2 exits (0 roosting) at the Yellow Chimney; 2 entries for the night at the Infirmary Site; and 2 of the 5 swifts seen near the Merchant's Hotel roosted. The Red Brick Chimney apparently has been capped.

17. Last but not least, at our northernmost known roost site in Dauphin, Ken noted 15 entries of swifts during the roosting hour; numbers peaked at this site about June 1.

C. SIGHTINGS FOR JUNE 7 AND BEYOND:

For the 2015 breeding season, Matt had to declare Carman a swift-free zone on June 8. The third site to be monitored was not active and no swifts had been seen nor heard during the day. Unfortunately, Rhonda had similar experiences. Why have the swifts not returned to Carman in 2015? That is an easy question to ask but a hard one to answer. There are many factors to consider - production at last summer's nest sites, overwintering success, migratory mortality, spring weather and insect availability...

Over and above being regular St. Adolphe monitors, Jacquie and Frank monitor the 3 chimneys at Providence College, Otterburne. On June 8, they saw: 2 swifts roost at the Chimney South of the Bell Tower; 2 swifts enter the SW Large Chimney for the night; and daytime entry/exit cycles at the SE Skinny Chimney before 3 swifts roosted - a nest site with a possible helper is in progress.

Nest building finally got underway at Brodeur Bros. in St. Adolphe - daytime entry/exit events were observed on June 9.

New opportunistic sightings came in: Kristin reported nightly chsw flying in the vicinity of the St. Joseph site in St. Boniface; Jeff saw 2 swifts over Ashburn St. north of Polo Park; a pair of swifts finally has arrived at the St. Norbert Behavioural Health Foundation - Blaire noticed the first occupancy of the season occurred on June 14.

On June 10, Gordon saw 4 swifts flying about and observed 1 entry at the old Duffield and Duffield site in Portage. Gordon has done a remarkable job of single-handedly monitoring all of the Portage La Prairie sites as well as travelling to Southport this year.

​ THE BOTTOM LINE: The payoff for the special made for Manitoba Blitz Night was huge. A new site was discovered, a major increase in activity was recorded at the Assiniboine School roost, nest building activity was verified for some sites, and lack of occupancy was confirmed for others. Again, THANK YOU for all of your monitoring reports. Your sore necks, mosquitoe bites, and boredom fighting techniques have all contributed to DATA. Those numbers, along with your observations, are the currency with which we work to understand the biology of chimney swifts in Manitoba. From that foundation, habitat stewardship and outreach programs can be implemented to protect habitat and inform people about our chimney swifts.

Databases will be posted on the website as they are updated - that job time-shares with field work - and Frank will notify you when they are available. Over the summer, I will provide progress reports about the breeding flock in St. Adolphe and other submitted monitoring results. Let's stay in touch over the summer!

All the best in birding, Barb for the MCSI team.