[NatureNS] chimney swifts in daytime at Univ. Hall, Wolfville

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Cc: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>,
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 17:03:07 -0300
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--Boundary_(ID_I8vifGicCW+4RBpoThvxgA)
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MAY 26, 2011 - On the Acadia Univ. campus, at 3 p.m. I just happened  
to be walking past University Hall, when I was surprised to hear the  
unmistakeable chittering of chimney swifts.  On Sunny and warm days I  
don't expect to hear any swifts, since we think they spend nice days  
mostly up high in the sky and foraging on aerial plankton (or  
whatever other behaviours, like just soaring or preening? or ??).   
Anyway, I confirmed the swift(s) with my eyes.

Then again at 3:35 p.m. I walked past Univ. Hall again, and AGAIN I  
heard swifts, and this time saw 3 of them flying back and forth not  
far above the southwest chimney, which a long time ago used to be the  
main communal night-time roost for Wolfville's chimney swifts (mid to  
late 1970s and occasionally in years after that).  This threesome of  
swifts included a pair that was flying in close formation,  
doubtlessly some form of courtship, e.g. pair formation or reunion?  
for later nesting there?  And the third swift was flying about not  
far from the pair and clearly accompanying them but also flying off  
by itself from time to time.

I have suspected for quite a few years that Univ. Hall now might be a  
nesting location for one or a few pairs of swifts, but nobody has  
gone to the trouble of trying to find that out, which requires a lot  
of sitting and monitoring single sites during the times when any  
nesting pairs might be feeding young (mostly in July) and therefore  
coming and going with some regularity.  Deliveries of food for  
nestlings can be very infrequent, e.g. every hour or half-hour when  
the youngsters are young.

There is a lot of information on this subject of monitoring roost- 
sites and nesting sites of chimney swifts from groups in Manitoba,  
Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick.  They are way ahead of us in Nova  
Scotia.

Anyone interested in more information on swifts can either Google  
"chimneyswifts" or contact Ally Manthorne, the coordinator of the  
Maritimes Swiftwatch project (she just sent out an announcement of  
that).

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.


--Boundary_(ID_I8vifGicCW+4RBpoThvxgA)
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: 20.0px Helvetica"><b>MAY =
26, 2011 </b>-&nbsp;</font><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 20px; ">On the Acadia Univ. campus, at 3 p.m. I just =
happened to be walking past <b>University Hall</b>, when I was surprised =
to hear the unmistakeable chittering of <b>chimney swifts</b>.&nbsp; On =
Sunny and warm days I don't expect to hear any swifts, since we think =
they spend nice days mostly up high in the sky and foraging on aerial =
plankton (or whatever other behaviours, like just soaring or preening? =
or ??).&nbsp; Anyway, I confirmed the swift(s) with my eyes. =
&nbsp;</span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">Then again at 3:35 p.m. I walked past <b>Univ. Hall =
</b>again, and <b>AGAIN I heard swifts</b>, and this time saw 3 of them =
flying back and forth not far above the southwest chimney, which a long =
time ago used to be the main communal night-time roost for Wolfville's =
chimney swifts (mid to late 1970s and occasionally in years after =
that).&nbsp; This threesome of swifts included a pair that was flying in =
close formation, doubtlessly some form of courtship, e.g. pair formation =
or reunion? for later nesting there?&nbsp; And the third swift was =
flying about not far from the pair and clearly accompanying them but =
also flying off by itself from time to time.</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; =
min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: 20.0px Helvetica">I have =
suspected for quite a few years that Univ. Hall now <b>might be a =
nesting location</b> for one or a few pairs of swifts, but nobody has =
gone to the trouble of trying to find that out, which requires a lot of =
sitting and <b>monitoring</b> single sites during the times when any =
nesting pairs might be feeding young (mostly in July) and therefore =
coming and going with some regularity.&nbsp; Deliveries of food for =
nestlings can be very infrequent, e.g. every hour or half-hour when the =
youngsters are young.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">There is a lot of information on this subject of =
monitoring roost-sites and nesting sites of chimney swifts from groups =
in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick.&nbsp; They are way =
ahead of us in Nova Scotia.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">Anyone interested in more information on swifts can =
either <b>Google "chimneyswifts"</b> or contact <b>Ally Manthorne</b>, =
the coordinator of the <b>Maritimes Swiftwatch</b> project (she just =
sent out an announcement of that).&nbsp;</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica"><br></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: 20.0px Helvetica">Cheers =
from Jim in Wolfville.&nbsp;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div>
</body></html>=

--Boundary_(ID_I8vifGicCW+4RBpoThvxgA)--

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