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]