Montana Audubon Kicks Off Field Season with Successful Black Swift Surveys
Back in July, the Montana Audubon Black Swift research team started the first week of Black Swift surveys in the far northwest corner of Montana, near Troy and Yaak. Three of the four sites surveyed were occupied by nesting swifts- a great start to the field season! The team was thrilled to get wonderful looks of these elusive birds that nest exclusively in the mossy and wet spray zone of waterfalls.
Here, they give us a taste of what it’s like to be in the field- be sure to check out the video at the end!
The Season Begins
The week started at a beautiful waterfall near Troy, several hundred feet up steep slopes overlooking the Kootenay River. This waterfall was occupied in the past, and soon after sunset (the normal time for non-incubating Black Swifts to return to their nesting area after a long day of high altitude aerial foraging), the team was happy to get good- but brief- looks of at least one returning swift. They surveyed the same waterfall again the next morning and saw three Black Swifts circle the area in front of the waterfall a few times before heading out for the day. This didn’t surprise the team- research in Montana, Colorado, Idaho, and Canada has clearly shown that early morning surveys, starting at least 30 minutes before sunrise, almost always detect more Black Swifts than evening surveys, which end about a half hour after sunset.
Let the Adventures Continue!
After completing surveys and training near Troy, staff split into two teams of two, and headed towards Yaak to survey several more waterfalls. Access to one of these falls, in the vicinity of Loon Lake, required a bushwhack through a riparian area with dense ferns, alders and stinging nettles that were all above head-height, and covered an uneven surface that was full of surprise holes, drop-offs, and hidden fallen trees and branches. No one ever said traveling off-trail in Montana was easy!
This riparian jungle was followed by about 30 yards of devil’s club, a plant with beautiful leaves, each larger than a dinner plate, which hide nasty woody stems that are completely covered with thousands of tiny spines (stinging hairs) from top to bottom. One learns quickly to tread cautiously around devil’s club: although the stems are woody, they are also very flexible, and when stepped on or pushed aside, they inevitably bounce back and painfully smack you on the hand or face.
After clearing the second portion of the Black Swift gauntlet, the team was met by an imposing slope that took them up a thigh-burning 450 vertical feet while covering a distance of only 800 horizontal feet. To top it off, the slope was covered by countless fallen trees, loose earth, and talus. At least the slope was clear of vegetation!
Oh, and this “adventure” all took place in pitch black (but with headlamps, of course) from around 4:35 to 5:10 a.m. Since survey protocol called for three surveys- morning, evening, and morning again- at this location, the team became pretty intimate with the brutal hike up to and down from the waterfall after doing it three times in the course of 24 hours!
If the bushwhacking, devil’s club-wading, and repeated uphill slogging weren’t enough, the team also had to keep an eye out for other, more elusive dangers. While driving back to their tents around 11 p.m. after the evening survey at this site, they surprised a mountain lion, which ran on the road in front of their vehicle for a few seconds before veering off into the roadside brush. This encounter occurred only a half-mile from camp, so needless to say they were extra alert around the campsite before getting in the tent!
But, all of the trials and tribulations paid off and the team was rewarded by finding two occupied nests (see video below!) which offered unparalleled, seldom-seen views of incubating Black Swifts.
Deepening our understanding of a mysterious- and at risk- species
Outside of the breeding season, Black Swifts spent most of their time in the air, and rarely touch down at all 9 months of the year. One Black Swift that was tagged in Colorado remained on the wing without landing for 10 straight months. Very few people have the opportunity to observe these incredible birds as they settle down to nest on the safely of the slippery, vertical ledges behind some of Montana’s most breathtaking waterfalls.
Though the days can be long, the bushwhacking full of devil’s club, and the talus slopes steep, we count ourselves privileged to be able to observe these remarkable birds. By monitoring these remote, hard-to-access sites, we can learn much about Black Swift occupancy and distribution in Montana, and better understand their behavior, life-history and conservation needs.