The sky-scape above eastern Omaha which had been the haven for so many Chimney Swifts when temperatures were warm and soothing, is now barren of these birds as the cold season descends upon the metropolis. The last of this years Chimney Swifts has left, migrating — as they do every year — to the south where bugs abound and are plentiful for capture as a days meal after their time up north.
This autumn season conveyed significantly different situations derived from numerous observations of the bugeaters about the eastern extent of the river city. Places were they had previously occurred in many hundreds were not even used as a nights' haven this year. Other chimneys, while known to provide a nightly roost, had a greater extent of use and on an extended basis than heretofore determined.
There is a variety of details to consider for the swift activity associated with multiple dates of observations from the first of September, through the last evening when a single swift dropped into the chimney of a Benson building. Include the records kept for previous years, and the opportunity for comparison expands.
Considering significant details from autumn at Omaha, an obvious indication is that many of the places where more than one thousand swifts occurred in 2012, were not the sites used by these birds this season. Specific places were visited on the same calendar date, with an intent to determine comparisons. In 2012, at more than one place and on more than one date, there were more than a thousand swifts, yet in 2013, none were observed at two significant chimneys, prominently in the Blackstone District as well as the Izard Industrial Zone with its two predominant, and large chimneys.
None of the autumnal counts this season had a count of more than one thousand swifts. The routine associated with observing these birds was similar to what has been done during past years to document their occurrence. Former haunts were barren, though it was apparent that the features of the chimneys had not been obviously changed. There was especially, a dearth of swifts in the morning, which is a completely suitable time for watching the birds depart from their overnight roost.
Significant this autumn, were two great chimneys. One was a church just east of the Walnut Hill Reservoir Park, where after being assaulted by an irate motorist, and eyed with skepticism by a nearby resident, the evening's observation spot at a park place, there were hundreds of swifts observed descending into their haven for the night. Also, and not to be ignored, there was a wonderful bunch of Common Nighthawks going southward above the scene. Other chimneys nearby also were used to a lesser extent.
Along Dodge Street in the south Dundee area, an apartment house with a big chimney was a haven as the season descended. More than 500 occurred one evening, and eventually the numbers of birds declined, with fewer numbers seen during the evening, until they were gone. There were only a few swifts present in Dundee, but upon revising the focus of attention, many more were prevalent in the Benson neighborhood.
Observations along the alley south of the main street of Benson ended the season. There were more than 125 on two evenings, in mid-October. The number of swifts then drastically declined to a single swift into a big structure at the east end of the business district.
Here was where where the last swift of the season, a sole bird, dropped into a chimney haven in the evening. This was not a new late date of occurrence, but was one of the latest dates based upon the many known days when the mighty bugeaters have been known to be present within Douglas County.
There were 44 dates when swift activity was personally observed during this autumn season. Observations from other area birders, including Win Finegan a resident in Dundee, and from NEBirds, were also helpful as the contributions helped to convey a broader perspective.
This is the season's summary, as determined for September and October, 2013.
| Date | Carter Lake District | Fonten- elle Park District | Down- town Omaha District | Midtown Omaha District | Bemis Park District | Mercer District | Cathe- dral District | Izard District | Carth- age District | Saddle Creek District | Dundee District | Memor- ial Park District | Benson District | Rock- brook District |
| 09/02 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 105 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/03 | - - | - - | 55 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/04 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - |
| 09/05 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 12 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/07 | - - | - - | 140 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/08 | - - | - - | 137 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/10 | - - | - - | - - | 110 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/11 | - - | - - | 20 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/13 | 15 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/14 | - - | - - | 210 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 10 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/15 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 185 | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/16 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 81 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/17 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/18 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 9 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/19 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 12 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/20 | - - | - - | 285 | 100 | 137 | 12 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/21 | 25 | - - | - - | 110 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/22 | 30 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 54 | - - | 9 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/24 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 17 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/26 | - - | - - | 25 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 72 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/27 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 7 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/28 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 505 | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/29 | 28 | 9 | - - | - - | 155 | - - | - - | 157 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 09/30 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 140 | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/01 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 33 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/02 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 306 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/03 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 53 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/04 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 62 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/05 | - - | - - | 85 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/06 | - - | - - | - - | 135 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/07 | 15 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 136 | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/08 | - - | - - | 65 | - - | 12 | - - | - - | 124 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/09 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 148 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 |
| 10/10 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 15 | - - | 174 | - - | - - | 11 | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/11 | - - | - - | 60 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 101 | 7 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/12 | - - | - - | 145 | - - | - - | 0 | - - | 12 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/13 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 29 | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/14 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 2 | - - | 4 | 1 | - - | - - |
| 10/15 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/16 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/17 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 7 | - - | - - | - - |
| 10/18 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 147 | - - |
| 10/19 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 132 | - - |
| 10/20 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
The most significant negative event for this autumn season was the loss of the former swift haven at Central Presbyterian Church, along Leavenworth street. It was a sad day when this chimney of former importance was indifferently capped by ignorant property owners.
Details associated with the specific counts have intentionally not been included to preclude any discovery of roost sites which might result in efforts to block chimney access for the swifts.
Survey results from autumn 2013 can be compared to findings from previous years, and which would further indicate roost preferences by these birds during the autumn at Omaha.
There was nothing done at Omaha this year which might be beneficial to providing the essentials for the roosting requirements of the Chimney Swift.
The decline in of places essential for these birds continues. It is slight every year, but overall and continually there are fewer havens.