Join us at the Canyon for an evening of wonderful acoustic music, food and fellowship with Up Around the Sun on November 17th
We received a very welcome 1.25” of rain at the Canyon in September, and the temperatures moderated a bit to an average high of 95 degrees. We even had a tease of fall when the thermometer dropped into the 60s for a few evenings. It was still a bit warm for any major habitat work, so we continued our summer routine of working on maintenance projects in the morning and indoor projects in the afternoon.
The Chimney Swifts continued to put on their excellent show in the evenings, and the roost grew to more than 300 birds at one point. We took advantage of their activity to host a Saturday Swift Watch for a dozen members of Families in Nature on September14th. The evening went so well we planned an encore for September 28th. However, on the evening of the 26th just 24 swifts entered the roost. After a few minutes, one by one, they exited and disappeared for parts unknown. The previous evening a mother Raccoon and her three “kids” were carousing around the residence. We suspect they may have caused enough commotion to make the roosting Chimney Swifts feel unsafe. A Swift Watch with no swifts is pointless, so we reluctantly cancelled the 28th event. With October just a couple of days away, we assumed the disruption had prompted the swifts to begin their southern migration a couple of weeks early.
We observed just 26 species of birds during the month with no new species for the year. Still, activity at the feeders was brisk. The local residents apparently had a banner breeding season with the earlier rains and relatively moderate temperatures of June and July. The Northern Cardinals and Lesser Goldfinches had a particularly productive season, and we were still seeing all ages of both species including some very young birds still begging for food from their parents throughout the month.
There will be Birding by Ear classes in October and November, and the acoustic musical duo “Up Around the Sun” will return for another small plate dinner concert on the deck on November 17th. Be sure to sign up early for these events, as they tend to sell out quickly! SIGN UP FOR UP AROUND THE SUN
For more information about Chaetura Canyon or to volunteer for workdays, please contact us at:
Kyle@ChimneySwifts.org
Best Regards,
Paul and Georgean Kyle
Sanctuary Stewards
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