Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003 11:50:08 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Bryce Butler Subject: Swift Nights in Baltimore MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A message from Carol Schreter (cschreter@aol.com) My name is Bryce Butler, a member of BBC, and I'm acting as Carol's amanuensis right now until she gets the technology of this list sorted out to where she's comfortable with it. Please send replies to Carol as she has been working on the project far longer than I, a recent emigrant from Seattle, where all the swifts are Vaux's (pronounced Vox as he was English). 1) Migrating Chimney Swifts flying into a chimney at dusk are a sight to see. As of Sept 11, the Swifts in Hampden are using both the Mill Center and nearby Bookbindery chimneys. Go any time on your own until the first frost, arriving 1/2 before sunset. Or join the Baltimore Bird Club at their next trip to Hampden on Thursday Sept 25, 6:30 to 7:30 PM. Find directions to the Hampden chimneys on the BBC website, the field trip schedule http://baltimorebirdclub.org/schedule.html#sep 2) Chimney Swifts around Town, around the nation. For Swift Night Out, Sept. 5 - 7, 2003 the Baltimore Bird Club counted at 5 different chimneys and sent results to Driftwood Wildlife Association in Texas. Our local counts as reported include: Baltimore, Maryland. Hampden Bookbindery. Old industrial chimney, brick, 3110 Elm Avenue. 21211 a. Friday, Sept. 5 7,403 chimney swifts enter between 7:30 -8:07 EST b. Saturday, Sept. 6 5,724 chimney swifts enter between 7:27 - 8:03 c. Sunday, Sept. 7 3,975 chimney swifts entered between 7:27 - 8:00 Next most active chimney in Baltimore Sept 5 - 7, 2003 was at Kernan Hospital. Saturday Sept 6..... 2,501 chimney Swifts enter between 7:12 and 7:58 In west Baltimore, at Forest Park Ave and Windsor Mill Rd. Industrial chimney, brick, at 2200 Kernan Drive, 21207 Best view from back of hospital, Employee Parking lot near old Mansion House. For nation-wide results, go to: http://www.concentric.net/~Dwa/page53.html Click on the Baltimore "multiple chimneys" count to see details on all 5 chimneys. 3) On Sept 14, Bill Hubick wrote MDOSPREY about his visit to see the Hampden Swifts. In my response to Bill, I noted that these Swifts are in migration. There are no nests in these big industrial chimeys. Migration continues until the first frost, which last year occured on October 24. The numbers of migrants are highest in September. 4) For background about the Swifts of Hampden, I directed Bill to two recent articles published in Chip Notes, the newsletter of the Baltimore Bird Club. "Swift Watch in Hampden," December 2001 issue http://baltimorebirdclub.org/cn/cn0112.html#3 "Chimney Swifts -- Spring and Fall 2002," December 2002 issue http://baltimorebirdclub.org/cn/cn0212.html#7 5) Adopt A Chimney. Send results to migration researcher in VA. We know that swifts are using many chimneys in the area. If you see dozens or hundreds or thousands of Swifts going into some chimney at dusk, do let me know (i.e. get the street address, zip code, if possible). Consider adopting that chimney, and sending weekly counts to Swift Migration researcher Dana Bradshaw, College of William and Mary, in Williamsburg, VA. www.swiftwatch.org ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================