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The Maritimes SwiftWatch Season is Fast Approaching! Chimney Swift migration is underway, and we should expect to hear their familiar calls overhead any day now. With their arrival, the 2019 Maritimes SwiftWatch season will begin. Citizen Scientists in the SwiftWatch program fill critical information gaps by monitoring Chimney Swifts at roost sites across Canada during the spring migration in late May and early June. Participants also identify and monitor chimneys and other structures (e.g. barns) used by swifts between May and September. This information helps us track Chimney Swift populations in Canada and guides our conservation efforts. Read about 2018 SwiftWatch monitoring and stewardship highlights in our annual SwiftWatch newsletter here: https://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/ai/chsw/index.jsp?targetpg=chswnews Whether or not you live near a Chimney Swift roost in Nova Scotia, there are several ways you can get involved: 1. National Roost Monitoring takes place this year on May 22, May 26, May 30, and June 3, with an additional optional count on May 18 to catch the "early birds". Volunteers follow a national protocol and report the total number of swifts seen entering each surveyed roost each night. These surveys are conducted at active roosts across Canada as part of annual efforts to track the Canadian Chimney Swift population. 2. Ongoing Roost Counts are conducted by volunteers at active roost chimneys throughout the season (May to September), following the National Roost Monitoring Protocol. The results of these surveys help differentiate between spring and fall roosts, identify potential threats to roosts as they arise, and prioritize sites for conservation action. 3. Presence/Absence surveys are conducted by identifying potentially suitable nest or roost sites (e.g. open chimneys and barns) and then monitoring these sites during the migration and breeding periods to determine if/how they are being used by swifts. 4. Casual Observations of Chimney Swifts (entering/exiting a nest or roost site, or just flying overhead) are submitted by Citizen Scientists across NS. These observations help us identify additional nest and roost sites and to contact the owners or managers of these properties. Contact Maritimes SwiftWatch (marswifts@birdscanada.org or 506-364-5196) for more information about this project and how you can participate, or visit SwiftWatch online at https://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/ai/chsw Do you have Chimney Swifts in your chimney? We'd love to hear from you! Landowners play a key role in conserving this species. "Swift-Friendly Property" recognition signs are now available for landowners hosting Chimney Swifts. As always, a sincere thank you is due to the many volunteers, partners, and supporters who make SwiftWatch possible. Happy spring, Ally Allison Manthorne Maritimes Swiftwatch Coordinator Bird Studies Canada PO Box 6227, 17 Waterfowl Lane Sackville, NB amanthorne@birdscanada.org (506) 364-5196
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