Greetings all, It is time once again for us to try to locate and monitor fall Chimney Swift roosts in NH! (Folks in VT are more than welcome to help as well!) The season seems to be off to a slow start, with a couple of large roosts from last August still largely quiet, but a couple of newer ones (Meriden and Contoocook) popping up with over 50 birds each. We could use birders' help in finding new roosts and checking in on old ones, since data on roost type, size, and timing may all prove useful in helping us better understand Chimney Swift declines and perhaps how to conserve them. Although the large funnels of dozens of swifts entering a chimney are the most impressive, roosts of ANY size are of interest, since the smaller ones (e.g., <10 birds or so) might represent breeding sites. So if you have a chance to wander around a nearby urban area over the next few weeks, keep your eyes on the swirling flocks of swifts at dusk, and see if you can find where they spend the night. If you DO find a swift roost, I'd REALLY appreciate you entering it in eBird - AS ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE - and starting the location name with "CHSW roost:." I'm also happy to provide further guidance as needed, and/or send on a copy of the swift monitoring protocol that I developed this spring. Thanks in advance for all the roosting swifts you're going to find! Pam Pamela D. Hunt, Ph.D. Avian Conservation Biologist New Hampshire Audubon 84 Silk Farm Road Concord, NH 03301 (603) 224-9909 x328 <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] Help us celebrate NH Audubon's Centennial! - <http://www.nhaudubon.org/about/centennial> http://www.nhaudubon.org/about/centennial "We have a hunger of the mind. We ask for all the knowledge around us and the more we get, the more we desire." - Maria Mitchell, 19th Century American Astronomer **************************************************************** To post messages, send e-mail to: [log in to unmask] Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages. To contact the list owner: [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------- Web based archives and subscription management are available at: http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html ****************************************************************