Help count Chimney Swifts in September!
Do you look forward to watching clouds of swifts swirling into their night time roosts this time of year? The Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group is asking for help identifying roost locations and counting swifts this month. Please read on to find out how you can help by including a little extra information in your eBird checklists or by submitting a paper form.
Here’s how to count in three easy steps.
1. Look for likely chimneys (ones that are uncapped and brick, so the swifts can cling to the interior; tall chimneys, such as those on schools, churches, or factories, are especially good, but smaller home chimneys can be, too), and watch to see where swifts are feeding and congregating. Here’s a great example video of a swift roost at Cherokee Middle School.
2. Pick one or more nights from early August in northern Wisconsin through early to late September in southern Wisconsin. Check the form below for the information we’d like you to collect. Observe the roost starting about 30 minutes before sunset until 10 minutes after the last swift enters the chimney (often when it’s so dark it’s hard to see anymore). Count (or estimate) the number of swifts as they enter the chimney. It’s useful to count in groups of 5 or 10 when they enter most quickly.
3. Enter your data into eBird (preferred – see instructions below) OR fill out the Chimney Swift reporting form completely as soon as your count is done. For either method, please send data via email or mail to:
in the Green Bay area, send to Nancy Nabak, nnabak@sbcglobal.net, (920) 468-8991.
in the Madison area, send to Sandy Schwab, sschwab49@gmail.com, (608) 658-4139.
elsewhere in the state, send to Bill Mueller, wpmueller1947@gmail.com, (414) 698-9108 or 1242 S. 45th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53214.
Bill will compile the results for Wisconsin. If you have any questions, please email or call Bill.
eBird data entry. See the eBird Quick Start Guide. When prompted for location, map your site to a community and an exact address or point. Include, in the Chimney Swift comments section, general weather conditions, time when the first and last swifts entered the roost, what type of building it is (residence, school, church, business, etc.). Here’s an example:
Date Sat Aug 11, 2012 7:42 PM
Location “Swifts – Lake Mills – 400 N. Main St., Jefferson County, Wisconsin, US“.
Number “155 Chimney Swifts“.
Comments “75; partly cloudy; S 5 mph. The first swift went down small chimney at back of old church at 8:05. The last 2 went down at 8:30. A few were still flying, but went elsewhere.”
Thanks and have fun swift watching!