The Driftwood Wildlife Association (www.chimneyswifts.org) is
sponsoring a nationwide Chimney Swift count as they mass for fall
migration. As part of this effort, my wife Sandy and I have found
several "Chimney Swift chimneys" here in Front Royal. If you have
never seen the vortex of Chimney Swifts form and then dive in to a
chimney, you don't know what you are missing.
Two of the sites are quite accessible: At the very back of the DMV
building at 15 Water Street just off East Main Street with 300+ birds
(Park on Water Street) and the huge chimney on the old Warren County
High School at 240 Luray Avenue with 160+ birds. The swifts begin
entering the chimneys about 20 minutes after sunset--see the weather
page in the Metro Section of the Washington Post for current sunset
times.
Waller Wilson
Front Royal, Virginia
