4,500 migrating birds move into chimney of Vancouver Island museum
Thursday, May 13th 2021, 1:17 pm - Huge flocks of Vaux s swifts have turned the Courtenay Museum chimney into a temporary roosting place
Ever since thousands of Vaux s swifts decided the mothballed chimney at a Vancouver Island museum would make a terrific pit stop on their annual migration north, the task of museum chimney sweep has taken on a whole new meaning.
For a fourth straight spring, huge blurs of the little birds are appearing at dusk, spiralling above the Courtenay Museum before disappearing en masse into the red brick cylinder to roost overnight.
4,500 migrating birds move into chimney of Vancouver Island museum
For the past four years, huge flocks of Vaux s swifts have made the Courtenay Museum a pit stop on their annual journey north.
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Huge flocks of Vaux s swifts have turned the Courtenay Museum chimney into a temporary roosting place
Posted: May 12, 2021 5:02 PM PT | Last Updated: May 13
A small flock of Vaux s swifts swirl over top of the Courtenay Museum chimney.(submitted by Keith Nicol)
Pat Trask pictured at Christmas. (Jan Trask/Submitted)
A lot has changed in the past 70 to 80 years, including how Saskatchewan residents approach winter.
For people who have experienced their fair share of cold stretches over the years, a few days of -40 C conditions is nothing compared to harsh conditions that people had to put up with years ago.
Pat Trask, 89, currently lives in Saskatoon, but her roots take her back to a farm near Tessier. She recalls brutal winters that had cold stretches lasting much longer than what we are used to in today’s age.
When it came to transportation, Trask recalls winter driving looking a little bit different than what we might expect.