Chimney Swifts
The Chimney Swifts are back! There are hundreds of them! It looks like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, The Birds.
I’m in awe over my experiences with nature. If you can’t appreciate these precious miracles, you won’t be able to enjoy life’s other miracles. Allow yourself to discover nature today. It really is a mind-blowing experience. – paerki
For those of you who don’t know, a Chimney Swift is a sleek, elegant little bird that looks like a flying cigar. I remember reading this a few places, but when you actually see them in the sky you’ll absolutely agree with the description.
Their breeding season begins in May and runs through July. As years pass, it seems to be a bit later (maybe that is global warming at work). These birds breed in towns and cities in North America. It’s my understanding they once nested in hollow trees, but now nest in manmade structures, most notable, the chimney.
Their nests are made of twigs, which are glued together with saliva. They lay multiple eggs. The female will sit on the nest at night. The incubation period is three weeks. The new fledglings will leave the nest after one month. I was surprised to learn these birds breed more than once each season. Wow!
It’s magical, absolutely incredible watching a few hundred birds fly above my building making a very distinct high-pitched chirping noise, ending their performance by funneling into the chimney at rapid speed. It really is awesome to see. I occasionally get a glimpse of them in the early morning leaving the chimney, which looks like they are being shot out of a cannon.
As for my "baby" mourning dove, he left the nest for the first time this afternoon. I watched him take flight. It was special. Strange as it may sound to some, I enjoyed his company. He will be missed. As this will be my last fire escape garden, this makes the experience that much more meaningful.
