Historically, Chimney Swifts nested in large hollowed out trees that were killed by fires as well as tree cavities and caves/cliffs. In some areas, they still do use these natural sources. They're unable to perch like a normal bird due to their toe morphology, so they need a vertical surface. 

> On Jul 12, 2017, at 3:17 PM, KimbaJ <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> I just had an interesting thought...where did chimney swifts live before we had chimneys?  Now I have to look into the etiology/ecology of this species.  We had to make caps for our chimney this year because they were coming into the house.-K Justice  
> 
>      From: Darlene Sillick <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] 
> Sent: Monday, July 10, 2017 10:57 PM
> Subject: [Ohio-birds] The swifts are staging!
> 
> Tonight my bluebird friends Paula Ziebarth and Sue Guarasci and I had just
> finished dinner in downtown Dublin and I said, look there are swifts above,
> let's see what is happening at Sells Middle School. Sells is on 161 and east
> of Frantz Rd and west of Dublin Rd and on the north side of 161.  We watched
> the swifts from the back of the 1919 building and parked in between the
> tennis courts and the back of the building.  We arrived about 9:00pmET and
> about 8 or so swifts were flying over the building.  This location is a
> favorite place for staging Chimney Swifts in late July, August and September
> and into early October.
> 
> 
> 
> I discovered the staging site about 15 plus years ago and I have enjoyed
> making others aware of these amazing creatures and their important use of
> tall chimney stacks close to dusk.  The birds gather from all different
> directions and fly in a clockwise flight getting tighter and tighter in
> their circle then start to enter the chimney for the night.  We say it looks
> like they are being sucked into the chimney or it looks like reverse chimney
> smoke. We were not disappointed tonight and we were quite surprised while
> counting the birds as they were entering the chimney.  They kept coming in
> and by 9:45-9:50pm we had counted over 675 birds entering the chimney for
> their evening roost.  And this is only July 10!
> 
> 
> 
> As an avid conservation person working with Eastern Bluebirds, Tree
> Swallows, Purple Martins and American Kestrels and putting up state of the
> art housing, many of us monitors have noticed we are having an amazing
> season with nesting and fledging many birds.  Bluebirds have started their
> 3rd nesting in central Ohio. Some areas might say the cicadas have helped
> but that is only for a few weeks and not all of Ohio.  I can now add Chimney
> Swifts to the list of insect eating birds doing very well so far this
> season.  Of course, they are going to eat smaller insects.  I have never
> seen this many birds staging this early in the 15 years I have been watching
> them.
> 
> 
> 
> I count and enter data in www.chimneyswift.org and over the weekend of Aug
> 11, 12, 13 is Swift Night Out.  They want you to watch near dusk for the
> sound of the swifts twittering and chittering and flying around a chimney
> before they begin to enter when the light is low enough.  Then, as best as
> you can, count them as they enter the chimney and note the start and end
> time.
> 
> 
> 
> On Sept 8, 9, 10 they have a second Swift Night Out.  For both monthly
> counts, I will visit Sells Middle School.  I check the sunrise sunset
> website and I try to go at least 30 minutes or more before sunset and watch
> the birds come in from all directions. If it is a cloudy and overcast night,
> the birds will start entering sooner.
> 
> 
> 
> About 12 years ago, the peek counts at Sells Middle School were over 5000
> birds entering the chimney.  Visit www.ColumbusAudubon.org  under the
> conservation tab and click on Chimney Swifts to read up on the swifts
> history and behavior in our area.  This YouTube Video
> www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RNN-UvvLyQ  will give you a sense of the show you
> will see.  Take some time and look for sites in your neighborhood in old
> school or business chimneys'.  Take time to report your findings and get
> others excited to watch the swifts.  Take it a step further and get involved
> in a swift tower conservation project.  Several are going up in the central
> Ohio area later this year.  Check Columbus Audubon's calendar of events for
> several public programs about the swifts during Swift Night out. Bring your
> lawn chair and you and the mosquitos will enjoy the free show.
> 
> 
> 
> Darlene Sillick
> 
> Powell, Ohio
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ______________________________________________________________________
> 
> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
> Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
> Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
> 
> 
> You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
> listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
> Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> |  | Virus-free. www.avast.com  |
> 
> 
> ______________________________________________________________________
> 
> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
> Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
> Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
> 
> 
> You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
> listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
> Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.


You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]