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.