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Index of Subjects Hi Ken, Jim, other swift-watchers As a non-clued-in person reading these regular swift reports, I'm a bit puzzled by the numbers. We keep getting notices of gratifyingly (?) large numbers of swifts entering this Temperance Steet chimney and a few others, but these are swifts that migrated in some time ago and obviously would have come to breed. They have been here for some time 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 200 strong, 2/3 the way through July? Who is incubating the eggs or sheltering the young, or don't swifts do that? Or are these all male roosts, leaving the female swifts to do all the work back at the nest? Or have they bred successfully already, so that some of these may be newly fledged offspring from this year? If the last were the case, you might expect high numbers roosting just after in-migration, then very low numbers during breeding elsewhere, then high numbers again after this year's offspring took wing. Is that what your numbers show, Jim or Ken? If instead this means that there are actually 200 or so unmated swifts loafing around but not breeding, that sounds like an impending population disaster and cause for concern that the numbers are so high, not the reverse. Someone please explain. Steve, Halifax Quoting Ken McKenna <kenmcken@eastlink.ca>: > Ken McKenna > Box 218 Stellarton NS > B0K 1S0 > 902 752-7644 > > Hi all > On July 19, I counted 200 Chimney Swifts going in the Temperance St, > schol chimney. First birds entered 8:52 and last 9:20. Most of the > birds entered 9:01-9:02. It was clear, calm and 24C. > > 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 quickly > 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 official count as I think I missed > quite a number. Will try for a better count tomorrow night if I get > a chance. > cheers > ken >
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