Lisa & all,
I did a little reading myself after seeing the replies. Apparently swifts used
to nest in caves, hollow trees and on cliffs before European settlement. There
are also many fewer hollow trees than there used to be. Wondering what a swift
house mentioned by Ronan would look like, I Googled that and it looks to be a
fake chimney. Doesn’t look like something that would be very easy to make snake
proof. I did construct a concrete building by a pond intended for such habitat,
but it has never been used by anything but mud dauber wasps. A phoebe started a
nest on it one time but never completed it. And a pair of Canada Geese once
attempted to nest on top.
Cornell also says swifts aren’t colonial and that there will be only one
nesting pair per chimney.
In answer to Preston - my fire place is completely sealed up. I have a ventless
gas heater where the fireplace was as a back up to our central heat. His
comment about peeling bark off hickory doesn’t make any sense to me. Can’t
figure out from his description how that could be a safe habitat for anything.
Frank Lyne
frank@xxxxxxxxxxx - near Dot in Logan County, KY
On May 22, 2020, at 8:13 AM, Lisa Gabbard <lgabbard@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I have a question for the group - I saw a similar post on a FB birding page
regarding swifts and chimneys.
Are chimney swifts an evolutionary species based on humans having chimneys?
Or are they just called that because when humans began having chimneys, the
previously-otherwise named bird took advantage of a handy roosting place?
If it’s the latter, then Frank can rest easy about their plight. If it’s the
former, I for one sure hope they adapt again to roosting elsewhere, should
all the chimneys disappear.
Lisa K. Gabbard, M.Ed.
Leadership - Contract Administration
and Program Support
Pronouns: she/her/hers (what is this?)
<https://www.mypronouns.org/what-and-why>
Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence
111 Darby Shire Circle
Frankfort, KY 40601
Office: 502.209.5382
Fax: 502.226.5382
Mobile: 502.593.5171
On May 22, 2020, at 5:01 AM, Lyneart <lyneart@xxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:lyneart@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
I’ve been noticing a lack of any Chimney Swifts at all this year. Barn
Swallows already have fuzzy babies. Then yesterday, while I was making
another tomato cage in the back yard, two made several passes overhead.
Don’t know whether I’ve been overlooking them or if they are just now back.
Ours is now the only remaining house in the neighborhood with a swift
friendly chimney. There was one more house about 3/4 mile up Watermelon Road
with chimneys, but after the 90 something year old farmer who lived in it
died, the new owner pushed it down, dug a hole and buried it. Will there be
any Chimney Swifts left when all the houses with chimneys are gone?
Frank Lyne
frank@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:frank@xxxxxxxxxxx> - near Dot in Logan County, KY
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