Reports

2013 Chimney Swift Project Report

2013 Chimney Swift Project Report

For the past 4 years, the Brereton Field Naturalists’ Club (BFNC) volunteers have partnered with Bird Studies Canada (BSC) in the Ontario SwiftWatch Project. This year, chimney swifts were first observed in Barrie on May 2. A total of 33 active chimneys have been identified since our surveys commenced in 2010.

To inform and guide conservation efforts in 2013, Bird Studies Canada’s priority was to locate new chimney swift nesting and roosting sites; 20 dedicated Barrie SwiftWatchers located 5 additional chimneys this season. The new sites were located on Dunlop, Sanford, Toronto, Worsley and Collier Streets.

BFNC volunteers participated in 3 counts at 4 roosts in Barrie’s downtown core for the National Spring Migration Blitz. On one of these evenings, Barrie SwiftWatchers were rewarded with a spectacular descent of 158 chimney swifts into a major roost!

To help raise public awareness regarding chimney swifts, (which are a threatened species both Federally and in Ontario), biologist Kristyn Richardson of BSC helped our club organize a “Swift Night Out” on June 5; the event attracted 38 participants.

BFNC volunteers also promoted SwiftWatch as part of our club displays at the Tiffin Centre For Conservation’s Spring Tonic, Celebrate Barrie, Friends of Milligan’s Pond Event and the Barrie Farmers’ Market. The July/August 2013 issue of Lake Simcoe Living magazine featured an article by Ron Fleming about BFNC’s chimney swift activities in its “Wingbeat” column.

Latest observation for 2013 occurred on August 29 when 4 chimney swifts entered the Barrie City Jail chimney to roost for the night.

All 2013 data collected by BFNC volunteers has been submitted to BSC; photographs and spreadsheets have been retained for our club files.