Thursday, Sept 14
6:30pm at Trowbridge School, 1943 E Trowbridge St Milwaukee
Park on Mabbett or any of the side streets there.
Bayview about two blocks west of South Shore Beer Garden (open from 4-8pm Thursday night)

Bring your binoculars and a camp or bag chair if you want. We can watch from the school’s parking lot.

Have you seen Chimney Swifts enter a roost? It is spectacular! Hundreds of swifts fly around above a chimney and about 20 minutes before sunset they start dropping in. At first one at a time, and then by the tens, then 20s-very, very fun to watch! The number of swifts in a chimney increase the temperature keeping them warm overnight as they rest before continuing migration to northern South America.

Before there were chimneys, swifts would spend the night in hollow trees or caves. They do not perch. They have long claws that they use to hold onto a vertical surface. Read more about them at allaboutbirds

If you cannot make it Thursday, you can still go see the swifts anytime. Their numbers are peaking in the next two weeks. There is another swift roost at Prospect and Irving in the old Shorecrest hotel chimney. Standing on the west side of Prospect (rt 32) along Irving will give you great looks over the apartment parking lot into the chimney.