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--Boundary_(ID_9DqtnKHggv/vg1JilaAo8w)
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JUNE 28, 2011 - Once again I watched the southwest chimney on
University Hall, Acadia Univ., from 4:15 to 4:30 p.m., on a lovely
warm clear day. Again I sat on the steps of the Business Dept.
building's east entrance. It only took a few minutes before I heard
the chittering of a flying chimney swift, which passed by the chimney
fairly closely while loudly calling and then flew away. A few
minutes later I heard a swift but did not see it. I suspect the
flying and calling swifts are displaying ownership of the probable
nesting habitat, as well as perhaps reassuring any mate that is
inside the chimney.
We SwiftWatchers in Canada, from New Brunswick, P.E.I., Quebec, Nova
Scotia, Ontario, and Manitoba (and perhaps Saskatchewan) want all
naturalists to be listening and looking for swifts and their possible
nesting locations for the next month and a bit, when the swifts will
be incubating and then feeding nestlings and fledglings.
Each pair or threesome (non-colonial when nesting) can raise up to
six or more babies, which leave the nest after about 7-10 days to
become wall-hangers and wall-creepers, where chimney swifts are quite
comfortable (well adapted to do nearly everything on vertical
surfaces). It takes about a month from hatching to actual departures
on first flights. The second half of July would be when the feeding
visits by parent swifts are maximal, i.e. most closely spaced in
time. But diligent watching over boring long periods is necessary to
see the clues about actual nesting.
Even in Wolfville, where residents have known about our interest in
the swifts for a long time, we know almost nothing about where the
nesting locales are, how many nesting pairs are in our area, and how
limited the nesting habitats are.
Residents who have swifts nesting inside their chimneys have to know
about them, because the begging babies are very noisy at any hint of
a delivery of food (like young woodpeckers).
By early to mid August most of the swifts will have left the nests
and started their leisurely migration south to the headwaters of the
Amazon in Peru, Brazil, and other S. Am. countries.
The declining and threatened chimney swifts ("Endangered" in Nova
Scotia) need our help badly.
Ally Manthorne (note address) has advertised earlier on NatureNS
about protocols and reporting forms for communal roosting sites for
chimney swifts; perhaps she can send out a reminder about what is
available from her.
Everyone should also know that there are groups working to help the
swifts in all the provinces from Manitoba to N.B. and here, and a lot
of info' can be found by Googling "chimneyswift" or
"OntarioSwiftwatch" etc.
Cheers from Jim in Wolfville
--Boundary_(ID_9DqtnKHggv/vg1JilaAo8w)
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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>JUNE 28, 2011</b> - Once again I watched the =
southwest <b>chimney on University Hall</b>, Acadia Univ., from 4:15 to =
4:30 p.m., on a lovely warm clear day. Again I sat on the steps of =
the Business Dept. building's east entrance. It only took a few =
minutes before I heard the chittering of a flying <b>chimney swift</b>, =
which passed by the chimney fairly closely while loudly calling and then =
flew away. A few minutes later I heard a swift but did not see =
it. I suspect the flying and calling swifts are displaying =
ownership of the probable nesting habitat, as well as perhaps reassuring =
any mate that is inside the chimney.</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"><b>We SwiftWatchers </b>in =
Canada, from New Brunswick, P.E.I., Quebec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, =
and Manitoba (and perhaps Saskatchewan) <b>want all naturalists to be =
listening and looking for swifts and their possible nesting locations =
for the next month</b> and a bit, when the swifts will be incubating and =
then feeding nestlings and fledglings. </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">Each pair =
or threesome (non-colonial when nesting) can raise up to six or more =
babies, which leave the nest after about 7-10 days to become =
wall-hangers and wall-creepers, where chimney swifts are quite =
comfortable (well adapted to do nearly everything on vertical =
surfaces). It takes about a month from hatching to actual =
departures on first flights. The second half of July would be when =
the feeding visits by parent swifts are maximal, i.e. most closely =
spaced in time. But diligent watching over boring long periods is =
necessary to see the clues about actual nesting.</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"><b>Even =
in Wolfville</b>, where residents have known about our interest in the =
swifts for a long time, <b>we know almost nothing about </b>where the =
nesting locales are, how many nesting pairs are in our area, and how =
limited the nesting habitats are.</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">Residents who have swifts =
nesting inside their chimneys have to know about them, because the =
<b>begging babies are very noisy</b> at any hint of a delivery of food =
(like young woodpeckers).</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">By early to mid August most of the swifts will have =
left the nests and started their leisurely migration south to the =
headwaters of the Amazon in Peru, Brazil, and other S. Am. =
countries.</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">The declining and threatened chimney swifts =
("Endangered" in Nova Scotia) need our help badly.</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">Ally =
Manthorne (note address) has advertised earlier on NatureNS about =
protocols and reporting forms for communal roosting sites for chimney =
swifts; perhaps she can send out a reminder about what is available from =
her. </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">Everyone should also know that there are groups =
working to help the swifts in all the provinces from Manitoba to N.B. =
and here, and a lot of info' can be found by Googling "chimneyswift" or =
"OntarioSwiftwatch" etc.</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</font></div> </body></html>=
--Boundary_(ID_9DqtnKHggv/vg1JilaAo8w)--
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