Lake Stevens, WA

Today, Sunday, August 13th, about 12:45 pm PDT, my wife and I counted 14 swifts "diving and dancing" above our home in Lake Stevens, WA. What a delight to hear their squeals and especially to see the new young ones try out their wings.  The weather was sunny and the temperature in the mid 70's. The birds have roosted in our 40 year old, and still operational, brick chimney in our home.  David and Mattie Thomson


Cape Girardeau, MO

In Cape Girardeau, MO we are monitoring two sites for Chimney Swifts: the Washington School site and the Common Pleas site - both are located within a mile of the Mississippi River and the Cape Girardeau riverfront.


Observations are as follows:

August 13, 2006: Washington School, 368 swifts observed (~400 inidividuals), initial observation of colony 8/13
Swifts began entering chimney at 8PM and were all in by 8:22PM
Colony occupies a nonfunctional and uncapped chimney on an old school building associated with Southeast Missouri State University
Address: 621 N Fountain St
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Weather conditions: Mostly clear, high humidity, low 90's
Observers: Bob and Mylinh Gillespie

August 12, 2006: Common Pleas Courthouse, 157 swifts observed (~165 individuals)
Swifts began entering chimney at 7:52PM and were all in by 8:17PM
Colony occupies a nonfunctional and uncapped chimney on the south side of the Common Pleas Courthouse on the southside of the Cape Girardeau courthouse grounds
Address: 44 N Lorimier Street
PO Box 2047
Cape Girardeau, MO 63702
Weather Conditions: Mostly clear, High humidity, mid 90's
Observers: Bob and Mylinh Gillespie, Steve and Ruth Juhlin (and children)

August 10, 2006: Common Pleas Courthouse, 255 swifts observed
Swifts began entering chimney at 7:50PM and were all in by 8:22PM
Colony occupies a nonfunctional and uncapped chimney on the south side of the Common Pleas Courthouse on the southside of the Cape Girardeau courthouse grounds
Address: 44 N Lorimier Street
PO Box 2047
Cape Girardeau, MO 63702
Weather Conditions: Mostly clear, High humidity, mid 90's
Observers: Bob and Mylinh Gillespie

August 5, 2006: Common Pleas Courthouse, 205 swifts observed
Swifts began entering chimney at 7:57PM and were all in by 8:32PM
Colony occupies a nonfunctional and uncapped chimney on the south side of the Common Pleas Courthouse on the southside of the Cape Girardeau courthouse grounds
Address: 44 N Lorimier Street
PO Box 2047
Cape Girardeau, MO 63702
Weather Conditions: Mostly clear, High humidity, mid 90's
Observers: Bob Gillespie

We are planning to get the volunteers involved at the Cape Girardeau Nature Center and will likely be sending an update during the Swift Night out series in September. We are having a lot of fun with this and will likely promote this as a public event next year. Thanks for a cool project to do on those lazy summer evenings! It looks like we have a good site for a tower as well and this winter we will possibly get it installed.  Thanks,  Bob Gillespie, Natural History Biologist


Vermillion, SD

Sunday, 8-13-06
University of South Dakota smoke stack
Vermillion, SD
45 swifts

Monday 8-14-06
Vermillion High School Chimney
Vermillion, SD
340 swifts



Kelley Island, OH

I participated in the Swift Night Out on Sun, Aug. 13, 2006
I counted 2 swifts entering our chimney.  One at 8:30 pm and another one at 8:45 pm.
They were checking into The Inn on Kelleys Island located at 317 W. Lakeshore Dr., Kelleys Island, Ohio 43438.  The chimney is approximately 35 ft in the air.  Thanks and enjoyed participating!
Lori Hayes, The Kelleys Island Audubon Club and The Inn on Kelleys Island


Mount Dora, FL

My wife and I observed 8 swifts circling our chimney at 8:14 pm on Sunday, August 13^th. The weather was calm, partly cloudy and 84 degrees. They have been nesting in the chimney of our home all summer. We live in Mount Dora, Florida. The baby swifts are quite noisy with their chirping sounds but we have enjoyed observing them in the evenings. Everything we have read about them on your website has been accurate and we found them to be a very interesting species of bird. One question I do have is, do they leave the chimney after the young are able to fly or do they continue to roost there until the weather gets cooler? This is our first time learning about the Chimney Swift and their fist time nesting in our chimney. We initially thought we had bats in our chimney and upon calling our city animal control office is when we learned, to our relief, that we had the swifts nesting and that they were a protected species.
Bill & Trish Deese


Kenosha, WI

• Number of swifts counted 19
  
• Time (and time zone) 8:15 central
  
• Date aug 11
  
• Location 23rd ave and 52nd st
  
• Address: city, state/province kenosha wi
  
• Broad description of the site: church
  
• Weather conditions may also be reported.