Swift Watch
For a fun and educational experience, join Forsyth Audubon at its annual one-night Swift Watch held in mid- to late-September. Keep reading to find out what this is all about!
Each year, several thousand swifts amass downtown and at other county locations preparatory to migration to South America. Although swifts may use several chimneys in the area, most of them usually pick one. In the downtown area, sites of large roosts vary from year to year, and sometimes even week to week. In past years, they have been at a warehouse near Krankies, the Millenium Center, the Stevens Center and the old courthouse.
There usually is a very large roost of several thousands - yes, thousands - birds at Northwest Middle School. This is where we held our Swift Watch in 2011 and 2012. This is a fantastic opportunity for members of Forsyth Audubon and the general public to witness one of the many marvels of bird biology and it's a lot of fun for those of us who have been treading that path for a long time!
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Line art drawing of Chimney Swift by Pearson Scott Foresman
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To learn more about Chimney Swifts and their migration, see www.chimneyswifts.org.
Throughout most of September, there are other opportunities to observe swift roosts in Forsyth County. They often roost at large chimneys at some our older schools, such as Sherwood, Vienna, Lewisville, Speas and Griffith, and at the old school in Clemmons. As dusk approaches, the numbers build gradually as the birds swirl around in cyclonic fashion above the roost area and then quickly go down the chimney in a rapid stream. Simpley awesome!.
Look forward to our next Swift Watch Night in September 2013 - date, time and place to be announced.