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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0021_01C9D8CF.6DD56020 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable After seeing Jim Wolfords posting on the Chimney Swifts at the old = farmhouse in the Windsor Forks area (Atlas Square 20 MQ 07), I decided = to find out where it was and drove over this afternoon. I introduced = myself to Cheryl Rutledge who is very gracious and knowledgeable about = birds. She invited me back this evening and told me where to stand and = where to park. She has literally lived with swifts in her home for many = years and is very familiar with them - to the point of handling and = releasing birds that have fallen down the chimney into the old stove. = They have apparently been breeding in this 200 year old farm house for = many years. It is a great location with a view clear across the Avon = River valley and birds are everywhere. Sunset time was predicted for 8:44 - I showed up at 8:15. 4 Swifts were = circling high up and mixing with 6 Barn Swallows. The Sora was calling = loudly from the nearby pond, as it was earlier when I visited. It has = been breeding here for a few years. Savannah Sparrows were present. Red = Winged Blackbirds and Grackles were both gathering nesting material. 24 = Canada Geese were feeding in a nearby field. Pheasants were making a lot = of noise. 8:25 swifts began making passes at the house chipping loudly. 8:35 12 Swifts were making close approches. The sora was paticularly = loud. Sun dropped below the horizon and it got very cool. Possibility of = frost was forecast for tonight. Sky was still clear. 8:46 one swift entered the chimney - we now had a major funnel formation = wheeling round the house. 9:00pm swifts entered abruptly making it hard to count them with = certainty. Within 4 minutes we had a total of 94 Swifts enter this domestic = chimney, plus the earlier individual for 95! - how do they do it? You = wouldn't think there would be enough space. Mrs Rutledge tells me that there is usually a Bittern in her pond but it = hasn't been seen yet this year. Apparently Ospreys bred on the nearby = Avon River for years but last year were driven off the nest by Bald = eagles. Also that a nest of Great Horned Owls is fairly close by - = obviously I will have to go back. John Belbin - Hantsport ------=_NextPart_000_0021_01C9D8CF.6DD56020 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.18702"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>After seeing Jim Wolfords posting on = the Chimney=20 Swifts at the old farmhouse in the Windsor Forks area (Atlas Square 20 = MQ 07), I=20 decided to find out where it was and drove over this afternoon. I = introduced=20 myself to Cheryl Rutledge who is very gracious and knowledgeable about = birds.=20 She invited me back this evening and told me where to stand and where to = park.=20 She has literally lived with swifts in her home for many years and = is very=20 familiar with them - to the point of handling and releasing birds that = have=20 fallen down the chimney into the old stove. They have apparently been = breeding=20 in this 200 year old farm house for many years. It is a great location = with a=20 view clear across the Avon River valley and birds are = everywhere.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Sunset time was predicted for 8:44 - I = showed up at=20 8:15. 4 Swifts were circling high up and mixing with 6 Barn Swallows. = The Sora=20 was calling loudly from the nearby pond, as it was earlier when I = visited. It=20 has been breeding here for a few years. Savannah Sparrows were present. = Red=20 Winged Blackbirds and Grackles were both gathering nesting material. 24 = Canada=20 Geese were feeding in a nearby field. Pheasants were making a lot of=20 noise.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>8:25 swifts began making passes at the = house=20 chipping loudly.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>8:35 12 Swifts were making close = approches. The=20 sora was paticularly loud. Sun dropped below the horizon and it got very = cool.=20 Possibility of frost was forecast for tonight. Sky was still = clear.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>8:46 one swift entered the chimney - we = now had a=20 major funnel formation wheeling round the house.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>9:00pm swifts entered abruptly making = it hard to=20 count them with certainty.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Within 4 minutes we had a total of 94 = Swifts enter=20 this domestic chimney, plus the earlier individual for 95! - how do = they do=20 it? You wouldn't think there would be enough space.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Mrs Rutledge tells me that there is = usually a=20 Bittern in her pond but it hasn't been seen yet this year. Apparently = Ospreys=20 bred on the nearby Avon River for years but last year were driven off = the=20 nest by Bald eagles. Also that a nest of Great Horned Owls = is fairly=20 close by - obviously I will have to go back.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>John Belbin - Hantsport</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0021_01C9D8CF.6DD56020--
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