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A SWIFT NIGHT OUT 2012 A Continent-wide Chimney Swift Roost Monitoring Project ___________________________________________
INDIVIDUAL REPORTS |
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Birmingham, AL
I am submitting a report for one roost location near downtown Birmingham, AL. The site is a chimney that is no longer being used, at an abandoned automobile dealership on Birmingham's Southside neighborhood. I have been following the birds at this site for the past 4-5 years. Prior to seeing them here there was a large roost at a chimney in the central downtown area but that building has been torn down.
Our local Audubon chapter (Birmingham Audubon Society) has started to make an annual Saturday evening trip out of this spectacle, where we gather at the Fish Market Restaurant for dinner and then make the short drive to the chimney to catch the show. So for us, Swift Night Out is better described as "Let's do dinner and a show!" There were 15 in our group but the small crowd of us attracted the attention of some passersby who wanted to know what we were doing. So, one young high school age couple and another young family temporarily parked their cars long enough to join in the fun! A policeman also stopped to inquire about the impromptu gathering. Thankfully, a few stragglers were sill entering the chimney at the time he stopped so he knew we weren't lying about watching the birds!
Anyhow, all great fun - these are the details: Number of Chimney Swifts reported: 250-300. Time : the birds entered the chimney between 7:10 - 7:25 p.m. (sunset was at 7:02 p.m.) Date: Saturday, September 8, 2012 Location: Birmingham, AL. 24th Street at 7th Avenue South, one block west of Red Mountain Expressway (US Hwy 31/280), and one block north of University Blvd. (Birmingham, AL 35233). Site description: the chimney that serves as the roost site is at an abandoned automobile dealership on Birmingham's Southside neighborhood. I have attached a screen capture of a Google Maps Street View option. Although there are cars in the photo, the dealership is no longer there and the buildings sit empty. I have also attached a photo of the swifts entering the chimney, taken tonight (Sunday).
Weather conditions: skies were clear following the passage of a cold front that had just moved through the area earlier that evening. Temps were in the low 70s.
Additional info: I have been monitoring this site pretty much all this migration season, starting about mid-August when I first noted about 50 birds there. They reached their peak numbers on August 30th, when I noted about 450-500 birds going to roost that night.
Many thanks for allowing us to participate in the Swift Night Out survey. Interest builds each year we do this "Dinner and a Show" event so we look forward to participating again next year!
Gregory J. Harber
Elkhart, IN
September 8, 2012 Elkhart, Indiana The old Boris Smoler dress factory chimney only 2 swifts circling the chimney, none seen going in sky was clear, dry, about 52° sundown about 8:00 we watched from about 7:45 to 8:15 September 9, 2012 Elkhart, Indiana the old Rice School chimney NO swifts at the chimney, zero, none. clear and dry, cool about 50 ° we were there from 7:30 to 8:20.
Very disappointing. Last year we counted about 500 here. We had a severe drought in June and July, and saw many - probably hundreds around and going into the school chimney in July. They seem to have gone.
Doris Stickel and David Stokely
Pittsburg, KS
September 9, 2012, several Sperry-Galligar Audubon members gathered for their annual "Swift Night Out" and tallied 1300 Chimney Swifts in three locations (two churches & one abandoned warehouse) in the city limits Pittsburg, Crawford County, Kansas. We had clear skies, calm winds, temperature about 70 degrees F. All birds went to roost by 8:10 P.M., CDST. Robert Mangile
Montello, WI
Date: September 9, 2012 Location: Montello, Wisconsin Commercial Building, (TW Design chimney) Park St. Time: 7:00-7:35 p.m. Weather: Winds: calm. Skies: Clear. Temperature: 65 F. Number of individuals counting: 2 Number of swifts: 278
Daryl Christensen
Austin, TX
There were five of us counting at O.Henry on Sun night; Laura Legett, Anne Crawford,Judie Tasch and two of Laura's friends I was sure I sent you our Swift Night Out results for Becker ES on 9/8, but I can't find that email. So, I'm including the results again below. Also below are the results for Zilker ES on 9/8 and AFL-CIO results on 9/9. In summary, we had all eight Austin locations covered at least once during the weekend. Fun, fun! Thanks, Shelia 9/8/12 Zilker Elementary School Nancy Radding and Victor Cloninger 385 School incinerator chimney Weather: partly cloudy, 83 degrees, light wind 9/8/12 Becker Elementary School Shelia Hargis, Laurie Foss, Karol DeVries, Jim DeVries (only Shelia and Laurie counted) 825 Time: first swifts we saw arrived at 6:59p (we arrived around 6:50p), the first bird went into the chimney at 8:04p, the majority of birds were in chimney by 8:14p, the last bird entered at 8:18p. School incinerator chimney Weather: partly cloudy, 83 degrees, light wind 9/9/12 AFL-CIO Shelia Hargis, Laurie Foss, Barry Lyon, Tess Sherman, Ben, Lucy Flanagan 270 Time: first swifts we saw arrived at 7:04p (we arrived at 6:55p), the first bird went into the chimney at 7:59p, the majority of birds were in chimney by 8:05p, the last bird entered at 8:10p. Commercial incinerator chimney Weather: clear, 84 degrees, light wind
Shelia Hargis
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