The Swift House
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In the early Spring of 2003 we found out that chimney swifts were quite happy with wooden chimneys, that it was the fires that required bricks. We promptly set out to build them one. After studying the plans at http://www.concentric.net/~Dwa/page6.html William went to Lowes to get materials. He loaded his cart with four bags of concrete, three sheets of half-inch treated plywood, eight sixteen-foot treated 2x4s, a roll of aluminum flashing, and assorted 1x4s for trim. Then he asked the store guy to help cut three 4x8 sheets of 3/8ths T1-11 into 21 inch pieces, in the four foot direction. The guy says, "Sure. What you building?" William says, "A birdhouse."
Here's what it looks like, finished:
This series shows the construction process.
This is the first side
panel.
Here the panels are stacking up
next to Mr. Haney and
the equipment trailer.
The first three sides held
square by a piece of plywood
at the top, the eventual roof.
With four sides and the start
of the sheathing, it is
becoming recognizable. There's an air space between the half-inch plywood exterior wall
and the T1-11 interior wall.
The idea is to let air flow up from the bottom and out the round holes you can see in the
next picture.
The flashing is to keep
raccoons and rat snakes out.
The inner chamber is totally snake-proof.
We bolted a 2x6 to the side of the
boat shed to help
hold against the wind.
Lining the chimney up
with the foundation hole.
The first lift is from the
top.
Then set it down on the
sawhorses to get another grip.
A beam across the top of the
bucket, and lots of ropes.
If Pharaoh had had a Phord,
he wouldn't have needed all
those slaves to raise his obelisks.
In position.
Just needs straightening up and
It's ready for the
foundation.
And this will be the baby
swifts' first view of the sky. After this picture was taken the bottom of the chimney was
closed with a piece of plywood, tight around the edges, with about twenty one-quarter inch
holes drilled through it for ventilation.
The Results
We knew it was too late in 2003 for the swifts to find the tower in time for nesting season, but when they also failed to show up in 2004 and 2005 we started to think we had done something wrong. We knew they were around, because we regularly see them flitting about and William has seen them flying into the broken off tops of ancient trees down in the swamp. Finally in 2006 they decided to move in.
They started one nest, then built another and made babies. We don't know how many; we didn't want to disturb them. For the summer we even avoided driving the tractor up to add to the compost pile.
Once nesting season was well and over we opened the bottom of the tower and took a few pictures of the nests, trying not to annoy the paper wasps in the process. It's hard to compose a shot holding the camera up over your head.
The
unfinished nest.
The nest they used.
They smeared their glue all over the
sticks and the wall, even made the circle of glue above the nest. The people at Driftwood Wildlife Association
say that the circle above the nest is just where they wipe the excess glue off their
beaks.
Even the
sticks they dropped stuck to the wall.
An update, January 2009. Three summers now the swifts have nested and each summer at least several young successfully got out the top of the tower. So far we haven't been able to tell how many but a Swift Cam is in our future.