Swifts on Oak-Beeville Texas 2013. Photo by: Jason Collins
The Vaux’s Swifts have returned to the Courtenay Museum’s brick chimney. As of Sunday evening, April 29, local birder and naturalist, Krista Kaptein, and other observers spotted two hundred and seventy birds entering the chimney and they’ve visited successive nights with arrival times at all hours. As of this printing, the daily average was close to five thousand birds.
With help from Bob Wells, City of Courtenay staff, ACS solutions, museum staff have placed a live camera on the chimney to observe the Swifts entry and exit to the museum chimney. This rest stop is part of the Swifts’ migration from Central America to Northern BC and Alaska.
Here is the Courtenay chimney camera link on Mayor Bob Wells’ site on which you can replay the Swifts’ arrivals and exits over the past week.
For more information on Swifts and why they need safe dry and warm roost sites like the Courtenay chimney link to the Larry Schwitters, Project coordinator, Audubon Vaux’s Happening site.
