[NatureNS] Not so swift?

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Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 09:47:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Paul MacDonald <paulrita2001@yahoo.com>
To: "naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
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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> 
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<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 &lt=
;srshaw@Dal.Ca&gt;<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.&nbsp; 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?&nbsp; Who is incubating the eggs or she=
ltering the young, or don't swifts do that?&nbsp; Or are these all male roo=
sts, leaving the female swifts to do all the work back at the nest?&nbsp; O=
r have they bred successfully already, so that some of these may be newly f=
ledged offspring from this year?&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; Someone please explain.<br>Steve, Halifax<br><br>Quoting Ken=
 McKenna &lt;<a ymailto=3D"mailto:kenmcken@eastlink.ca" href=3D"mailto:kenm=
cken@eastlink.ca">kenmcken@eastlink.ca</a>&gt;:<br>&gt; Ken McKenna<br>&gt;=
 Box 218 Stellarton NS<br>&gt; B0K 1S0<br>&gt; 902 752-7644<br>&gt; <br>&gt=
; Hi all<br>&gt; 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>&gt; <br>&gt; 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>&gt; cheers<br>&gt; ken<