[NatureNS] re "counting" swifts, and Liverpool historically for swifts

Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 09:37:44 -0400
From: "Paul S. Boyer" <psboyer@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
References: <13BD51CC76844530B611698C23089B1F@oldcoot3>
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Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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I think that the problem might be that bunches of individual birds  
might go through at once, getting lumped together as a single count.

A more accurate way might be simply to take a digital video of the  
birds (if there is enough light — or try IR), and then sit down and  
count frame-by-frame, using that most marvelous of cybernetic devices,  
the human brain.  It might seem tedious to some, but after all,  
looking at birds is the game.

Audubon wrote an account of a large, hollow tree used by thousands of  
swifts.  Since reading that years ago, I have always wondered if one  
could not build a swift nesting-facility or "dedicated chimney," just  
for the birds.


On May 22, 2008, at 8:01 PM, David & Alison Webster wrote:

> I may have broached this previously but I wonder if some scrap  
> electronic parts could be combined to produce an event (i.e. bird  
> passing through) counter. Does someone on the list happen to have a  
> hoard of electronic scrap and know-how (time to burn would help  
> also) ?
> Yt, DW
>
> James W. Wolford wrote:
>
>> "Counting" is a ball-park guess by counting by tens approximately  
>> as they descend into the chimney.  Imagine the difficulty when  
>> there are 2300, 500, 900!! (which we had once back in 1989? in  
>> Wolfville).  Counting less than 100 is quite easy, and even up to  
>> 300 or so when they go in gradually.  It's on nights when all the  
>> entries are at once that you have a severe challenge!  It also  
>> helps to have more than one observer, and then take the average.
>>
>> Marg, I'd like to know more about what you said about the church in  
>> Liverpool.  Can you provide dates and more info' on  how the access  
>> to the chimney was prevented?
>>
>>
>> Thanks from Jim in Wolfville
>>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>>
>>> From: "Margaret E.Millard" <mmillard@eastlink.ca <mailto:mmillard@eastlink.ca 
>>> > >
>>>
>>> Date: May 22, 2008 10:32:21 AM ADT
>>>
>>> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
>>>
>>> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] 81 chimney swifts in Wolfville May 20/08
>>>
>>> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
>>>
>>>
>>> I am so glad to hear about the swifts. I used to sit on the  
>>> veranda rail at home and watch them circle around and around then  
>>> funnel down into the chimney at the church behind my grandmother's  
>>> house in Liverpool. When the chimney was made inaccessible, I was  
>>> outraged and so disappointed even as a child.
>>>
>>> Question? How does one count that many birds? Is it close to an  
>>> actual count, as you say here, or a guestimate from experience? I  
>>> see four birds, I can count them, I see 10 I know I am recounting  
>>> and then after that I sort of figure this many........mourning  
>>> doves are the exception around here. They line up and lay around.
>>>
>>> http://margmillard.ca
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "James W. Wolford" < jimwolford@eastlink.ca 
>>>  <mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca> >
>>>
>>> To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>  
>>> >;Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 1:40 AM
>>>
>>> Subject: [NatureNS] 81 chimney swifts in Wolfville May 20/08
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> MAY 20, 2008 - Harold Forsyth and I checked out the CHIMNEY  
>>>> SWIFTS at
>>>>
>>>> dusk at Wolfville's Robie Tufts Nature Centre, observing there from
>>>>
>>>> 8:30 to 9:05 p.m. (Sunset time 8:41).   Again the swifts flew about
>>>>
>>>> for a long time before the substantial flock of 80 SWIFTS all  
>>>> went in
>>>>
>>>> at 9:00.  Then a single laggard swift entered the chimney by itself
>>>>
>>>> at 9:03 after some very erratic manoeuvers in the air.   Thus we  
>>>> had a
>>>>
>>>> seemingly accurate TOTAL OF 81 SWIFTS.   If memory serves, and  
>>>> since
>>>>
>>>> we are  early in the migration period, this number bodes well for
>>>>
>>>> having substantially more swifts this year than our best totals for
>>>>
>>>> one night of about 80 for the past two seasons (and Hurricane Wilma
>>>>
>>>> of late autumn of 2005 gets the blame.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville, 542-9204
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
>

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