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--0-2103528831-1311439656=:8978 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Steve=0AI'm glad you asked the question.Had me confused also - still doe= s! lol=0APaul=0A=0A=0A________________________________=0AFrom: Stephen R. S= haw <srshaw@Dal.Ca>=0ATo: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=0ASent: Saturday, July 23= , 2011 1:22:00 PM=0ASubject: [NatureNS] Not so swift?=0A=0AHi Ken, Jim, oth= er swift-watchers=0AAs a non-clued-in person reading these regular swift re= ports, I'm a bit puzzled by the numbers.=0AWe keep getting notices of grati= fyingly (?) large numbers of swifts entering this Temperance Steet chimney = and a few others, but these are swifts that migrated in some time ago and o= bviously would have come to breed.=A0 They have been here for some time alr= eady in our short summer, so if they paired off earlier and went off to fin= d nest holes to raise young, what are they doing roosting nightly 200 stron= g, 2/3 the way through July?=A0 Who is incubating the eggs or sheltering th= e young, or don't swifts do that?=A0 Or are these all male roosts, leaving = the female swifts to do all the work back at the nest?=A0 Or have they bred= successfully already, so that some of these may be newly fledged offspring= from this year?=A0 If the last were the case, you might expect high number= s roosting just after in-migration, then very low numbers during breeding e= lsewhere, then high numbers again after this year's offspring took wing.=A0= Is that what your numbers show, Jim or Ken?=0A=0AIf instead this means that there are actually 200 or so unmated = swifts loafing around but not breeding, that sounds like an impending popul= ation disaster and cause for concern that the numbers are so high, not the = reverse.=A0 Someone please explain.=0ASteve, Halifax=0A=0AQuoting Ken McKen= na <kenmcken@eastlink.ca>:=0A> Ken McKenna=0A> Box 218 Stellarton NS=0A> B0= K 1S0=0A> 902 752-7644=0A> =0A> Hi all=0A> On July 19, I counted 200 Chimne= y Swifts going in the Temperance St, schol chimney. First birds entered 8:5= 2 and last 9:20. Most of the birds entered 9:01-9:02. It was clear, calm an= d 24C.=0A> =0A> Tonight July 22, the weather took a noticeable turn for the= worse as I was heading to view the swifts. Wind came up and the sky quickl= y blackend and the temp. dropped to 20C. As I arrived at 8:39, there was a = nice group above the chimney and a number were already going in. I noted 23= going in at the time, but I think I missed a lot. It was another 5 minutes= before the bulk went in for the evening, but there were trickling numbers = till I left at 9. My count was 164, but I would not consider this an offici= al count as I think I missed quite a number. Will try for a better count to= morrow night if I get a chance.=0A> cheers=0A> ken=0A> --0-2103528831-1311439656=:8978 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body><div style=3D"color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:ti= mes new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>Hi Steve</= span></div><div><span>I'm glad you asked the question.Had me confused also = - still does! lol</span></div><div><span>Paul</span></div><div><br></div><d= iv style=3D"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', ti= mes, serif; "><div style=3D"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman'= , 'new york', times, serif; "><font size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"><hr size=3D"1= "><b><span style=3D"font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Stephen R. Shaw <= ;srshaw@Dal.Ca><br><b><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> = naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<br><b><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">Sent:</spa= n></b> Saturday, July 23, 2011 1:22:00 PM<br><b><span style=3D"font-weight:= bold;">Subject:</span></b> [NatureNS] Not so swift?<br></font><br>Hi Ken, = Jim, other swift-watchers<br>As a non-clued-in person reading these regular= swift reports, I'm a bit puzzled by the numbers.<br>We keep getting notices of g= ratifyingly (?) large numbers of swifts entering this Temperance Steet chim= ney and a few others, but these are swifts that migrated in some time ago a= nd obviously would have come to breed. They have been here for some t= ime already in our short summer, so if they paired off earlier and went off= to find nest holes to raise young, what are they doing roosting nightly 20= 0 strong, 2/3 the way through July? Who is incubating the eggs or she= ltering the young, or don't swifts do that? Or are these all male roo= sts, leaving the female swifts to do all the work back at the nest? O= r have they bred successfully already, so that some of these may be newly f= ledged offspring from this year? If the last were the case, you might= expect high numbers roosting just after in-migration, then very low number= s during breeding elsewhere, then high numbers again after this year's offspring took wing. Is that what your numbers show, Jim or K= en?<br><br>If instead this means that there are actually 200 or so unmated = swifts loafing around but not breeding, that sounds like an impending popul= ation disaster and cause for concern that the numbers are so high, not the = reverse. Someone please explain.<br>Steve, Halifax<br><br>Quoting Ken= McKenna <<a ymailto=3D"mailto:kenmcken@eastlink.ca" href=3D"mailto:kenm= cken@eastlink.ca">kenmcken@eastlink.ca</a>>:<br>> Ken McKenna<br>>= Box 218 Stellarton NS<br>> B0K 1S0<br>> 902 752-7644<br>> <br>>= ; Hi all<br>> On July 19, I counted 200 Chimney Swifts going in the Temp= erance St, schol chimney. First birds entered 8:52 and last 9:20. Most of t= he birds entered 9:01-9:02. It was clear, calm and 24C.<br>> <br>> To= night July 22, the weather took a noticeable turn for the worse as I was he= ading to view the swifts. Wind came up and the sky quickly blackend and the temp. dropped to 20C. As I arrived at 8:39, there was a nice group abo= ve the chimney and a number were already going in. I noted 23 going in at t= he time, but I think I missed a lot. It was another 5 minutes before the bu= lk went in for the evening, but there were trickling numbers till I left at= 9. My count was 164, but I would not consider this an official count as I = think I missed quite a number. Will try for a better count tomorrow night i= f I get a chance.<br>> cheers<br>> ken<