Press release here:
An all-ages nature and community event, Swift Night Out on Friday, Sept. 25 marks the peak of downtown’s evening avian aerial show as thousands of birds swarm the sky above the Grove Arcade — and all of Asheville is invited to watch.
A swirling mass of up to 5000 birds flies in sweeping circles…it’s not Animal Planet or National Geographic, it’s downtown Asheville, where chimney swifts flock every year by the thousands before their long migration south to Peru.
Every year swifts gather in chimneys all over Asheville, and the Grove Arcade is commonly home one of the largest colonies in town. Forming huge, moving patterns in the sky every evening at dusk, the swifts circle their home chimney as a group thousands strong before flying in for the night.
Swifts are a protected species. Their habitat (hollow trees and chimneys), which is not protected, is declining, so the swifts are too. A decline in swifts means an increase in summertime pest insects, as swifts eat mosquitoes and gnats.
“Swift scouts” are needed to check on the birds through September – just a quick peep around 7 or 8 p.m. to be sure hawks haven’t chased them to another downtown chimney. Organizers have generous help from local birders, but we welcome more to regularly check on the Grove Arcade swifts and other colonies around town.
Swift Night Out 2009 is sponsored by Asheville PARC, the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society and Natural Selection gift store on Battery Park Avenue.
Seventh Annual Swift Night Out: An Event for the Birds
Gather on the O. Henry side of the Grove Arcade
Friday, Sept. 25 (rain date Saturday Sept. 26)
7-8 p.m.
The Grove Arcade, downtown AshevilleWatch a video of local swifts here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TfM035OXds
Join the Asheville community swift watch here to learn more about watching swifts and spotting colonies: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/swiftwatch/
1 Comment
Looks like a warm September has kept the swifts from really congregating yet, and there might only be 2-3 thousand (by a rough recent estimate) at the Grove Arcade tonight. Experienced watchers say the numbers will peak later than usual this year, in the next week or so.
It’s hard to time this event (publicity takes a bare minumum of 2-3 weeks) with the actual, natural, peak of the number of birds (not to mention hawks can chase them completely away). The swifts are there EVERY night until the first cold front moves in, so check back again later through early Oct.
Cross your fingers for a dry night and lots of swifts.