Happenings Down The Hill: 05/19, Swift Update / Event

Here is some news from Shannon Kearney, DEEP Wildlife Division.

"Hi Everyone,

"The swifts are back and I just wanted to alert everyone to TWO events next week at the height of our Spring Arrival!  We plan to debut our new swift roost activity- Chimney Swift BINGO at both events!  Come learn and have fun watching the birds!  Even if you can’t get out to our events, I encourage you to go out to welcome your local birds back from their long journey!

"Monday May 19: Willibrew is for the birds!!  967 Main St, Willimantic, CT   860-423-6777

"Join us for the 2nd annual Chimney Swift Conservation Night at the Willimantic Brewery (Main St Café) 967 Main St, Willimantic on Monday May 19, 2014.   This year the event is happening at the height of the spring arrival for the birds!  Past years have seen close to 1000 birds descend into the chimney! 

"Join swift researchers from CT DEEP and UConn for a wonderful meal, specialty brews, including ‘Flying Cigar Ale’, and the wonderful spectacle of hundreds, perhaps thousands of chimneys swifts funneling into two of the state’s largest summer roosts.  Come see the Windham Town Hall roost and the Nathan Hale roost spectacle and learn why Willimantic is so important to chimney swifts.  In addition to learning all about swifts and enjoying a great dining experience, master brewer David Wollner will again be tapping the now famous ‘Flying Cigar Ale’, a portion of the proceeds from each one sold will again be generously donated to the chimney swift conservation effort.  So, please come out and enjoy a lovely night at the Willimantic Brewery and help raise money for a great cause.

"DEEP and UConn researchers will be at the brewery starting at 530PM.  ‘Showtime’ for the swifts is typically 20 minutes before sundown to 30 minutes after sundown (8PM).  Make sure you leave enough time to enjoy a truly fabulous menu and a few libations before the spectacle.  Dinner reservations are recommended for this special event-call 860-423-6777.  And, don’t forget that the swifts are here all summer, so once you see them once, you will certainly want to come back and see them again!

"Thursday May 22: Look UP! It’s Swift Night at New Hartford Elementary School  40 Wickett St, New Hartford, CT

"Join the New Hartford Land Trust for “the Best Air Show in Town” at the New Hartford Elementary School, Thursday May 22, 2014. 

"Chimney swifts are little dusky birds, resembling flying cigars, that rarely fly below roof or tree canopy height.  They often go unnoticed, because they spend so much time high in the air, but what we should notice is that they eat 1/3rd of their mass in insects every day!  Come learn, from our state researchers about these amazing little birds that fly at least 3,000 miles every year to raise their young here in our Connecticut homes!

"New Hartford Elementary School has been identified as an important summer roosting sites for chimney swifts in Connecticut, and has been the focus of state research for the past 4 years.  Roosting chimney swift colonies are among the most entertaining bird sighting events you could experience in Connecticut.  About 20min before sunset (~8:10 on May 14), chimney swifts from around the area will begin to congregate in swirling, “chittering” groups above the roost chimney.  Groups of birds can be 10’s or 100’s.  Swifts will continue to circle, dive, chase each other, disappear into thin air, return as quickly as they disappeared, fly in formation, so on and so forth, until about 10 minutes after sunset when they will pile and literally flip over as they drop into the chimney.   

"Join us any time after 7PM to socialize and learn about the birds from Shannon Kearney-McGee from the DEEP Wildlife Division.   Make sure you arrive by 7:45 to see the main event!

"Spring Greetings to you, and I look forward to hearing more about your local birds!"