Posted by Bob Kelley on April 23, 2003 at 02:41:25:
In Reply to: Re: Black-throated Blue Warbler posted by Alex on April 22, 2003 at 22:21:41:
I heard chimney swifts twitering away last night at 7PM near the old entrance to Fairchild Tropical Gardens. As Alex said they look like flying cigars. Their wing beat is very stiff and
VERY fast.
They are migrating through right now, but some will stay for the summer to nest. They started nesting regularly in Miami-Dade County about 20 years ago. Why we don't know, but they are a welcome addition to our nesting birds.
Two years ago as I was driving down Old Cutler Road to a lecture at the Charles Deering Estate
I looked out my car window to see a chimney swift flying parallel to the car about 4 feet off the ground. I was traveling 40+ miles per hour and it had no trouble keeping up with me. This was just past Coral Reef Drive.
Bob Kelley
: You did see a chimney swift. They are called "cigars with wings" because of their rectangular-like body, and long wings. They also call a chattering, repeating chip-chip-chip-chip... They are usually in small groups, and seen sometimes at dusk, but found all day.