Swift Nights Out are back in Birmingham! Join Birmingham Audubon downtown as they enjoy the last of three evenings with one of our favorite urban birds, the Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica).
October 6, 2018
After these aerial acrobats have fledged their young and cleared out their nests, the entire North American population makes its way south to winter along the remote headwaters of the Amazon River. On their way there, they congregate in huge roosting flocks with as many as two or three thousand birds sharing a single chimney—numbers that make for a tremendous spectacle when they all pour into the tiny opening at once.
Meet at the top of the McWane Science Center parking deck at 5:30 p.m. to dedicate their swift tower sponsored by Birmingham Audubon. Here we will be able to see other active chimneys that are visible from this location as well. Then, we will walk, carpool, or bicycle to one of downtown’s active swift chimneys. Together, we’ll wait for sunset (6:25 p.m.), watch the swifts work themselves up into their nightly “swiftnado,” and then count the number of individuals who enter the roost.
The details
Meetup is at 5:30 p.m. at the top of the parking deck at the McWane Science Center (200 19th St. N.)—the entrance to the parking deck is on 2nd Ave. N.
Which chimney we visit after going to the McWane Center will depend on the work of our dedicated chimney swift scouting volunteers; they’ll spend part of September looking for active roosts and identifying the most convenient spots for viewing. Check back on our website for more details.
Binoculars are handy, but certainly not necessary, for viewing the swifts as they assemble in the skies above the chimney. If you’re a social media user, we strongly encourage you to share your thoughts and photos with the hashtag #BhamSwiftnado.
After the viewing party, we will walk, carpool, or bike to the Pizitz Food Hall across the street from the McWane Center to enjoy dinner together and an after-party with live music in the courtyard outside the food hall featuring Galactic Engineers of Magnetic Sounds – GEMS (https://www.facebook.com/GalacticEngineersofMagneticSounds/) and Results of Adults (https://www.facebook.com/Resultsofadults/). Members of our Junior Board will be set up with information about Birmingham Audubon and our efforts to build more swift towers throughout Birmingham.
Love swifts? Support our efforts to build chimney swift nesting towers throughout Birmingham. https://birminghamaudubon.org/swifts/