For the eighteenth consecutive year, I counted migrating Chimney Swifts as they dropped into chimneys to spend their nights clinging to bricks and mortar before emerging after sunrise to hopscotch another one hundred or more miles to another welcoming chimney for another night’s sleep as they continue their journeys to their winter homes in Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, and Brazil’s northwest corner. Compared to their challenges, my part of the count starts with showing up at a public chimney one-half hour before sunset while staying alert, counting and recording by the minutes until one-half hour after sunset. It’s a peaceful hobby that has more to offer than swifts.
During previous years, I have downloaded a sunrise/sunset chart from the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. that lists every day of the year. The chart was not available this year and their website said they were working on it, etc. Well, local newspapers list sunset times on their weather pages, so no problem.
I counted at eight chimneys, only two were not within the city of Delaware. On August 14, I counted 105 swifts at Sells Middle School in Dublin during a Swift Night Out organized by Darlene Sillick. I counted my season high of 1249 swifts at the Galena Village Hall on August 23, and the highlight of the evening was not the swifts, but an immature Bald Eagle that launched from the Big Walnut Creek to fly west across Galena.
The season started off with disappointments as Carlisle Elementary’s chimney failed to be active with swifts. I watched the chimney from my car for five nights between August 4 and September 9. Swifts were rare and when they did appear to “dip,” a term I use to describe an actual effort by a bird to fly closer to the chimney’s opening in order to scan and smell to appraise the chimney’s status as a possible roost for the night, but after one dip, each swift just flew onward toward a busier Delaware.
During my five nights at the elementary school, I saw a solitary rabbit once, and a flying bat once. Most exciting was counting eleven Common Nighthawks, or goatsuckers, on September 9. During my fall swift watch, I counted a total of 22 nighthawks that were migrating over Delaware between August 25 and September 11.
As I do every year, once I select a dominant chimney, I count at other chimneys every other night in order to acquire a list of active roosts. When it appeared that the Carlisle chimney was “dead” after failing to attract roosting swifts, the chimney at the Zion United Church of Christ became my new primary chimney. I sat in a director’s chair to count swifts at the church, and things were going well until August 22 when no swifts entered. By September 7, the church’s chimney was also declared dead, possibly because it was being used as a chimney. For five of the 17 nights that I counted at the church, a solitary rabbit entertained me as it grazed on green grass. And during eight nights, a bat really brought a smile to my face. It would fly in an east to west path before hovering over me at five to ten feet. Was it being curious? I never had any insects land on me, so I assumed the bat wasn’t hunting, or was it just assessing its world before it left to hunt? Who knows?!
Oh, I should add that I don’t worry about bats giving me rabies since during the early days of the Ohio Wildlife Center, I endured shots of rabies vaccine to make me immune.
During the decline of swift numbers counted at the church, August 28 became a new turning point as I counted 480 swifts entering Edwards Gym’s northeast chimney on Ohio Wesleyan’s campus. The second Wesleyan chimney that I watch each year is located on the north face of Gray Chapel and it had failed to house more than four swifts during my earliest counts. Therefore, Edwards Gym became my dominant chimney for my latest counts.
To count the gym’s swifts, I sat in my car in the power plant/motor pool parking lot along Wilmer Street that is also known as the OWU Power House. I would roll down my window, listen to my radio, and read the time on my dashboard as I recorded data, and there was always more than swifts that won my attention.
While watching the gym’s chimney from the parking lot, I was also scanning the sky over downtown Delaware. The Olentangy River is found nearly three blocks east of the city’s main downtown intersection and flying ducks became a common site as they flew into town seeking their aquatic hotel for the night. Not only the Olentangy, but some of its small stream tributaries were also sought.
Whenever I am walking in downtown Delaware, I check on the Delaware Run that flows east under some of the business buildings and under South Sandusky Street to emerge into the open flowing along the northern edge of Wesleyan’s campus. Most times, I can watch Mallard ducks as they harvest food in the flowing stream.
During 31 of the 69 evenings that I counted in Delaware, I recorded 422 ducks in 80 different flocks, ranging from one to 17 ducks per sighting. I also recorded three flocks of geese that added up to 21 individuals. I am sure that a serious birder with a spotting scope, or a camera with a telephoto lense, would enjoy identifying the passing waterfowl.
Mammals counted during my swift nights at the gym’s chimney included one rabbit for one night, single bats for eight nights, and a mature groundhog during six nights. The groundhog had a burrow near the Power House building where it would emerge to cross the street to graze on a steep hillside behind the Branch Ricky Arena. Initially, I was worried about the groundhog’s safety since Wilmer Street has a fair amount of traffic, but I soon learned that the wise animal was blessed with good hearing and would break into a fast run to safely cross the street with time to spare. Of course, it has additional burrows in the hillside near the arena.
In mid-September, climate change became a visible reality as I watched the sky. On late afternoons showing no clouds, instead of a blue sky, skies were light gray. Then, TV’s meteorologists revealed that Central Ohio was experiencing a gray haze of forest fire smoke carried in from our country’s western states.
I found myself thinking about beavers in the western mountains as described in the 1913 book, In Beaver World by Enos A. Mills. Known by some as the “father of Rocky Mountain National Park,” his book is still published and tells of beavers that lived in the Rocky Mountains. The obsessive dam builders would not be able to solve today’s entire forest fire problem, but they could certainly help in some situations. The book is worth a read.
The swift’s 2020 fall migration peaked on September 28 as 610 swifts dropped into the gym’s chimney. Swift numbers always decline after a high number in September, and then there is always a minor increase in numbers during the last days in early October. Swifts usually circle repeatedly above their targeted chimneys before dropping in, but during the last days of the migration season, remaining swifts fly directly to the chimney to quickly drop in, requiring a concentrated focus on the chimney by the counter. Perhaps, they are running out of energy due to shorter days and lower temperatures that lead to fewer flying insects that serve as their prey items.
The last day when swifts entered their nighttime roost was October 12 when 14 sought shelter. I spent the next night watching the gym’s chimney to count zero swifts, and spent October 14 sitting in my director’s chair watching the sky over downtown Delaware to make sure that no swifts were missed.
October 12 remains the average date for seeing the last swifts during my eighteen-year quest to describe their migrations. Annual last dates range from the earliest on October 6, 2004, to the latest of October 22, 2018.
During my nightly counts, I try not to forget to take with me a map downloaded from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and three swift study skins from Wesleyan’s zoology Museum so I can explain what I am watching should I have questions to answer. I have state and federal permits that allow me to temporarily possess the study skins outside of the museum. I must submit detailed reports to the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the end of each year. When members of the public ask questions, I record the encounters as “programs” in my data book. This year, I recorded six programs totaling eight people. I enjoy these environmental interpretation events as members of the public, of all ages, become aware of Chimney Swifts that share our world. I believe that every human being should see swifts entering a chimney at least once in their lives. I have seen people that have lived for decades without ever seeing hundreds of birds dropping into a chimney. While watching the event for the first time, they became highly excited and impressed while feeling more alive.
In these modern times, more people, mostly girl and boy scouts, are leading projects to erect swift towers that mimic the function of chimneys used as roosts. Also, more retired chimneys are being preserved for nesting and migrating swifts. At OWU, members of the Buildings and Grounds Department confirmed that the NE chimney at the gym is no longer used as a chimney. Modern hookups are now doing the work of a chimney.
I would like to see modern bulletin boards installed so anyone rounding the corner of the gym could read about the natural history of Chimney Swifts and their need for chimneys and swift towers, and where they are from, and where swifts spend their winters. Yes, that’s an educational process called environmental interpretation.
Videos that show how to build swift towers can be found on the Internet. Also, check chimneyswifts.org for much information and books that have the best plans for success.
Conserve on!
2020 Fall Chimney Swift Counts, N=71
When I record times, I prefer military time so morning and afternoon times are never confused. Simply subtract 12 from times greater than 12:00 to return afternoon times to standard time.
For the data listed below and for dates where swifts entered their chimney, earliest entry times are listed in the next to last column. Times of last entries make up the last column.
Carlisle Elementary School, 746 West Central Ave., n=5
| August 4 | zero swifts | watched 20:18 – 21:15 |
| August 6 | zero swifts | watched 20:13 – 21:12 |
| August 10 | zero swifts | watched 20:08 – 21:07 |
| August 17 | zero swifts | watched 20:07 – 20:57 |
| September 9 | zero swifts | Left early – construction noise |
Zion United Church of Christ, 51 West Central Ave., n=17
| August 7 | 559 swifts | 20:33 – 21:07 |
| August 11 | 289 swifts | 20:15 – 21:03 |
| August 12 | 281 swifts | 20:16 – 20:59 |
| August 13 | 315 swifts | 20:09 – 20:55 |
| August 15 | 355 swifts | 20:34 – 20:55 |
| August 16 | 238 swifts | 20:20 – 20:56 |
| August 18 | 78 swifts | 20:23 – 20:54 |
| August 19 | 34 swifts | 20:36 – 20:52 |
| August 20 | 28 swifts | 20:33 – 20:47 |
| August 21 | 6 swifts | 20:19 – 20:40 |
| August 22 | zero swifts | watched 19:49 – 20:51 |
| August 26 | 1 swift | 20:35 |
| August 29 | 1 swift | 20:34 |
| August 31 | zero swifts | watched 19:40 – 20:36 |
| September 2 | 3 swifts | 20:21 – 20:30 |
| September 7 | zero swifts | watched 19:25 – 20:15 |
| September 11 | zero swifts | watched 19:40 – 20:36 |
First Commonwealth Bank, 41 North Sandusky St., n=3
| August 8 | 5 swifts | 20:49 – 21:04 |
| August 25 | zero | watched 19:55 – 20:46 |
| October 14 | zero | watched 18:29 – 19:22 |
Gray Chapel, OWU, West chimney on North face, n=3
| August 9 | 4 swifts | 20:52 – 20:55 |
| August 27 | 2 swifts | 20:27 – 20:28 |
| September 6 | 2 swifts | 20:09 – 21:11 |
John Sells Middle School, 150 Bridge St., Dublin, n=1
| August 14 | 105 swifts | 19:49 – 20:52 |
Galena Village Hall, 109 Harrison St., n=1
| August 23 | 1249 swifts | 20:00 – 20:45 |
West Winter Street Chimney, Delaware
| August 20 | 102 swifts | 20:15 – 20:28 |
Edwards Gym, OWU, North Chimney on East face, n=41
| August 5 | 10 swifts | 20:28 – 21:00 |
| August 28 | 480 swifts | 19:37 – 20:27 |
| September 1 | 207 swifts | 20:06 – 20:28 |
| September 3 | 217 swifts | 20:06 – 20:29 |
| September 4 | 88 swifts | 20:04 – 20:26 |
| September 5 | 192 swifts | 20:06 – 20:24 |
| September 8 | 97 swifts | 20:04 – 20:17 |
| September 10* | 157 swifts(76 today) | 19:59 – 20:13 |
| September 12 | 262 swifts | 19:51 – 20:08 |
| September 13 | 127 swifts | 19:56 – 20:08 |
| September 14 | 64 swifts | 19:52 – 20:02 |
| September 15 | 47 swifts | 19:30 – 20:00 |
| September 16 | 63 swifts | 19:49 – 19:58 |
| September 17 | 50 swifts | 19:48 – 19:59 |
| September 18 | 67 swifts | 19:48 – 19:56 |
| September 19 | 47 swifts | 19:51 – 19:58 |
| September 20 | 34 swifts | 19:51 – 19:56 |
| September 21 | 82 swifts | 19:43 – 19:52 |
| September 22 | 221 swifts | 19:40 – 19:51 |
| September 23 | 460 swifts | 19:31 – 19:45 |
| September 24 | 346 swifts | 19:39 – 19:50 |
| September 25 | 345 swifts | 19:40 – 19:53 |
| September 26 | 347 swifts | 19:37 – 19:46 |
| September 27 | 361 swifts | 19:33 – 19:47 |
| September 28 | 610 swifts | 19:09 – 19:36 |
| September 29 | 380 swifts | 19:27 – 19:44 |
| September 30 | 260 swifts | 19:23 – 19:34 |
| October 1 | 138 swifts | 19:11 – 19:22 |
| October 2 | 347 swifts | 19:24 – 19:35 |
| October 3 | 531 swifts | 19:16 – 19:28 |
| October 4 | 474 swifts | 19:07 – 19:26 |
| October 5 | 137 swifts | 19:24 – 19:31 |
| October 6 | 23 swifts | 19:20 – 19:32 |
| October 7 | 25 swifts | 19:12 – 19:32 |
| October 8 | one swift | 19:25 |
| October 9 | 30 swifts | 19:17 – 19:25 |
| October 10 | 16 swifts | 19:07 – 19:25 |
| October 11 | 50 swifts | 19:16 – 19:23 |
| October 12 | 14 swifts | 19:00 – 19:05 |
| October 13 | zero | watched 18:26 – 19:25 |