Dear Curiosity Journal,
A peculiar aerial flutter around the silo captivated my curiosity. A flock of small birds alternatively took flight and landed on the vertical cement surface. My mind immediately went to the chimney swift, although I’m still not positive of the identification. Our friend and local bird enthusiast, Barbara Duerksen, spotted a few chimney swifts when she walked the farm for the Driftless Curiosity Bird Lovers program and was keen to share her appreciation for the species’ distinct characteristics. These aeronautical wonders fly almost constantly, except for overnight roosting and nesting. They’re unable to perch on branches like other birds because they lack the back digit which grips around (like our thumb). Rather, they use their long claws to cling to vertical surfaces, like chimneys (where they got their name) and apparently silos. Barb is part of a chimney swift conservation group and we discussed the decline of the swifts associated with chimneys being replaced with modern ventilation systems. She hypothesized that cement silos could be new roosting grounds and was glad to see them on the farm. Can anyone tell me from this poorly captured video if these are chimney swifts? Just curious.
~Joy
