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--Apple-Mail-36-875294364 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Begin forwarded message: > From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> > Date: May 31, 2013 3:20:46 PM ADT > To: Nature BNS <nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca>, John Belbin > <jbelbin@ns.sympatico.ca>, Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>, > Cheryl Rutledge <wynne.rutledge@hotmail.com> > Cc: Chris Field <field@mathstat.dal.ca>, Karen Potter > <Karen.Potter@EC.GC.CA>, "Ally (Allison) Manthorne" <amanthorne@bsc- > eoc.org>, Paul Kyle <DWA@austin.rr.com> > Subject: re 121 Chimney Swifts May 30/13 Upper Falmouth farmhouse > > Thanks, John! Great and enigmatic report -- the apparent > "blockage" by the swifts themselves is a new phenomenon to me. But > I have a comment regarding the suggestion that the pre-roosting > swifts were enjoying feeding as your time went by uneventfully -- > in the "old days" in Wolfville in the 1970s/80s we used to have > hundreds of swifts circling the Univ. Hall sw. chimney and then the > Robie Tufts former dairy chimney for 20+ minutes while gawkers > looked up at them -- and it was quite unusual for anyone to get > "crapped on", excuse my poor grammar -- this suggested to me that, > no doubt dependent on what kind of a feeding day it was, the swifts > were shutting down their feeding sometime well in advance of the > pre-roosting displays. Maybe Ally has some suggestions on this, or > Karen Potter?, or Paul & Georgean Kyle in Texas? > > Cheers from Jim in Wolfville. > > Begin forwarded message: > >> From: John & Francine Belbin <jbelbin@ns.sympatico.ca> >> Date: May 30, 2013 11:20:41 PM ADT >> To: Ally Manthorne <amanthorne@bsc-eoc.org>, NatureNS >> <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> >> Subject: [NatureNS] 121 Chimney Swifts in Falmouth - May 30 >> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >> >> This evening was not planned as a swift watch for me as I believed >> that the owner of the farmhouse would be home to do the reporting. >> At the last minute I decided to check it out which proved to be a >> good move as there was no-one else there at the time. I arrived at >> 8:10 which was far too early given the conditions - nothing >> happened for a very long time. It was a real spring evening, 18 C >> with 50% cloud cover and a light 5 km breeze from the NW. Lots of >> bugs but little to keep me amused. A few swifts and barn swallows >> were circling very high up and clearly enjoying themselves. >> >> I had parked in front of an open barn door and for a long while >> my amusement was had by a couple of Barn Swallows swooping right >> round the car as they flew in and out of the door on their way to >> their nest. >> >> 8:45 a lone swift entered the chimney , the others were too busy >> feeding to bother, >> By 9:00 there were still only 6 birds in the circuit. >> 9:10 3 more decided to drop in and then a fairly slow procession >> began, completely unlike the frenetic few minutes of Monday. >> >> I had a good view of the chimney from the centre of the lawn and >> could clearly see that some process in the chimney was holding >> things up. Several times 3 or 4 swifts that had begun to enter >> clearly stopped so abruptly that they actually bumped into each >> other just a foot or two above the chimney. It looked as if some >> other swifts were in the way. That would continue for a while as >> the group did more circuits and then several would enter rapidly >> until another jam occurred and repeat the process. Occasionally a >> swift would emerge from the chimney as others were trying to >> enter, confusing the process and my counting. >> >> The last one entered at 9:27 and there had been an almost >> continuous process up to that point. It was very dark by then and >> I believe this entry was far longer than normal. >> I was very surprised to total my counts and see the numbers, >> because at no time was there a large group circling the chimney, >> they just kept coming. There were lots of bugs and I was well >> bitten for my efforts >> John Belbin - Hantsport > --Apple-Mail-36-875294364 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> <br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">"James W. Wolford" <<a = href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>></fon= t></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">May 31, 2013 3:20:46 PM = ADT</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Nature BNS <<a = href=3D"mailto:nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca">nature@blomidonnaturalists.c= a</a>>, John Belbin <<a = href=3D"mailto:jbelbin@ns.sympatico.ca">jbelbin@ns.sympatico.ca</a>>, = Jim Wolford <<a = href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>>, = Cheryl Rutledge <<a = href=3D"mailto:wynne.rutledge@hotmail.com">wynne.rutledge@hotmail.com</a>&= gt;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Cc: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Chris<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span>Field <<a = href=3D"mailto:field@mathstat.dal.ca">field@mathstat.dal.ca</a>>, = Karen Potter <<a = href=3D"mailto:Karen.Potter@EC.GC.CA">Karen.Potter@EC.GC.CA</a>>, = "Ally (Allison) Manthorne" <<a = href=3D"mailto:amanthorne@bsc-eoc.org">amanthorne@bsc-eoc.org</a>>, = Paul Kyle <<a = href=3D"mailto:DWA@austin.rr.com">DWA@austin.rr.com</a>></font></div><d= iv style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica"><b>re 121 Chimney Swifts May 30/13 Upper Falmouth = farmhouse</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div> Thanks, John! Great and enigmatic report -- the = apparent "blockage" by the swifts themselves is a new phenomenon to me. = But I have a comment regarding the suggestion that the = pre-roosting swifts were enjoying feeding as your time went by = uneventfully -- in the "old days" in Wolfville in the 1970s/80s we used = to have hundreds of swifts circling the Univ. Hall sw. chimney and then = the Robie Tufts former dairy chimney for 20+ minutes while gawkers = looked up at them -- and it was quite unusual for anyone to get "crapped = on", excuse my poor grammar -- this suggested to me that, no doubt = dependent on what kind of a feeding day it was, the swifts were shutting = down their feeding sometime well in advance of the pre-roosting = displays. Maybe Ally has some suggestions on this, or Karen = Potter?, or Paul & Georgean Kyle in Texas?<div><br></div><div>Cheers = from Jim in Wolfville.<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded = message:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">John & Francine Belbin <<a = href=3D"mailto:jbelbin@ns.sympatico.ca">jbelbin@ns.sympatico.ca</a>></f= ont></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">May 30, 2013 11:20:41 PM = ADT</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Ally Manthorne <<a = href=3D"mailto:amanthorne@bsc-eoc.org">amanthorne@bsc-eoc.org</a>>, = NatureNS <<a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a>></f= ont></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>[NatureNS] 121 Chimney Swifts in = Falmouth - May 30</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> <span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: = rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: = none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div><font = size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">This evening was not planned as a swift watch = for me as I believed that the owner of the farmhouse would be home to do = the reporting. At the last minute I decided to check it out which proved = to be a good move as there was no-one else there at the time. I arrived = at 8:10 which was far too early given the conditions - nothing happened = for a very long time. It was a real spring evening, 18 C with 50% cloud = cover and a light 5 km breeze from the NW. Lots of bugs but little to = keep me amused. A few swifts and barn swallows were circling very = high up and clearly enjoying themselves.</font></div><div><font size=3D"2"= face=3D"Arial"></font> </div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"> I had parked in front of an open barn door and for = a long while my amusement was had by a couple of Barn Swallows swooping = right round the car as they flew in and out of the door on their = way to their nest.</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"></font> </div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"> 8:45 a lone swift entered the chimney , the others = were too busy feeding to bother,</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial">By 9:00 there were still only 6 birds in the = circuit.</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">9:10 3 more = decided to drop in and then a fairly slow procession began, completely = unlike the frenetic few minutes of Monday.</font></div><div><font = size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"></font> </div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"> I had a good view of the chimney from the centre of = the lawn and could clearly see that some process in the chimney was = holding things up. Several times 3 or 4 swifts that had begun to enter = clearly stopped so abruptly that they actually bumped into each other = just a foot or two above the chimney. It looked as if some other = swifts were in the way. That would continue for a while as the group did = more circuits and then several would enter rapidly until another jam = occurred and repeat the process. Occasionally a swift would emerge from = the chimney as others were trying to enter, confusing the process and my = counting.</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"></font> </div><div><font size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">The= last one entered at 9:27 and there had been an almost continuous = process up to that point. It was very dark by then and I believe this = entry was far longer than normal.</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial">I was very surprised to total my counts and see the = numbers, because at no time was there a large group circling the = chimney, they just kept coming. There were lots of bugs and I was well = bitten for my efforts</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"> John Belbin - = Hantsport</font></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></blockquote></d= iv><br></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-36-875294364--
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