LONDON SWIFTWATCH 2006 - REPORT NO. 6 - September 20 McIlwraith Field Naturalists of London have been monitoring chimneys in London that are known to be or have been roosting sites for Chimney Swifts, Chaetura pelagica. This project, now in its third year, was organized as a response to the province-wide decline in swift numbers identified by Breeding Bird Atlas data. From mid-August through September, participants count the number of swifts entering the chimneys at dusk, preferably on Sunday evenings.
Numbers peaked around September 2-4 at 2465 swifts in 10 chimneys. The results of the most recent counts, carried out Sep 16-18, are presented below. The number in brackets indicates the number of swifts counted the previous weekend (Sep 9-11). South Collegiate (Tecumseh & Belgrave) 340 (246) Ryerson School (Victoria & Waterloo) 323 (433) Kingsmill's (Carling, W of Richmond) 126 (125) Smith Fruit (S end of Maitland) 119 (540) Dorchester Apts (N Richmond) 21 ( 21) Emco (Nightingale & Dundas) 14 ( 70) Truck Driving School (Horton & Wellington) 2 ( 4) Riverside Drive greenhouses 1 ( 19) First St Andrews Church (Waterloo & Queens) 0 ( 0) St Pauls Chursh (Richmond & Queens) 0 (not counted) Kings College (Waterloo & Epworth) not counted ( 2) Total Swifts Counted: Weekend 1 (Aug 12-14) 261 (in 14 chimneys) Weekend 2 (Aug 19-21) 495 (in 9 chimneys) Weekend 3 (Aug 26-28) 1096 (in 8 chimneys) Weekend 4 (Sep 2-4) 2465 (in 10 chimneys) Weekend 5 (Sep 9-11) 1460 (in 9 chimneys) Weekend 6 (Sep 16-18) 946 (in 8 chimneys)
