For over a decade, Nancy Falkum has kept watch as the sun sets and Swifts return to the St. Felix chimney each spring

From late April through August, Nancy Falkum visits the St. Felix chimney several times a week to observe the remarkable sight of the migrating Swifts. For more than eleven years, she has dedicated her spring and summer evenings to counting the Swifts. These birds travel all the way from Bolivia, using the chimney as their nightly roost. It’s unclear exactly how long the Swifts have been stopping in Wabasha, but Nancy’s careful counts have provided over a decade of valuable records.
About half an hour before sunset, Nancy walks over to St. Felix, sets up her chair, and waits for the show to begin. Not everyone knows why she’s there, though. Nancy laughed as she recalled, “I’ve had the police called on me.” Her quiet dedication to the Swifts once alarmed a neighbor who was confused by Nancy watching the sky. “The officer who showed up was kind, and I offered to show him my ID,” Nancy said. “I explained to him what I was doing.”
When I arrived after 8 p.m., Nancy let me know that the Swifts don’t always follow a strict schedule. Most nights, they swoop into the chimney after sunset, but the exact moment is always a mystery. “Nature is not always exact, but it always has a pattern,” she told me. One night, Nancy was packing up to leave around 8:36 p.m., but the next night she was still waiting for the birds by 8:30. As the days get longer, when the birds fly into the chimney changes. The anticipation is part of the beauty and mystery of the count for Nancy.
Nancy said it's recommended for counting that you start observing the birds 30 minutes before sunset and stay until 30 minutes after sunset to get the most accurate tally. When I got there, she was sitting in a folding chair facing the chimney, binoculars around her neck with a counter in hand. Overhead, a few Swifts darted through the sky.
On an ordinary evening in Wabasha, the Swifts might go completely unnoticed. People strolled by, and kids played basketball nearby. As the sun sank lower behind the bluffs, more Swifts appeared, swirling around and growing in numbers above the chimney.
No one knows exactly what signals the Swifts to make their dive into the chimney for the night, but when they go, it happens quickly. You can patiently watch for a few to dive for the opening of the chimney, and in a flash, the whole group will follow. “It happens very suddenly and all at once,” Nancy said.
Once inside, the Swifts flip over, clinging to the chimney walls with tiny pins on their tails, and remain there until sunrise, except for a few “scouts,” as Nancy calls them, who sometimes peek back out. She’s noticed the behavior but isn’t sure why the birds do that.
Swifts are medium-sized birds with gray feathers, long, narrow wings, and tiny legs. They cannot perch on flat surfaces; instead, they cling to something upright, such as a wall, or, in this case, the chimney. interior wall. These birds spend almost the entire day in the air and only come down at night to rest. Within the chimney, the birds have built nests from sticks, glued together with their own saliva. During the day, they’re busy eating insects, anything they can catch, and sometimes drink water from the river.
After years of practice, Nancy has honed her counting skills. She used to keep a tally by hand, but wasn’t satisfied with the accuracy. These days, she uses a clicker, counting in increments of five to keep up with the flurry of birds. She also records a video of the Swifts so she can double-check her numbers later. Nancy reports her findings. She occasionally returns in the morning before sunrise to watch the birds depart. “I’m addicted to it,” she said with a smile.
Tuesday evenings, you’ll find Nancy at St. Felix until the Swifts head back to Bolivia in August. She welcomes anyone to join; no sign-up is required, just come and enjoy the spectacle. Nancy enjoys meeting people who are curious about the Swifts and local conservation.
Nancy believes that any encounter with nature can change the way you see the world or inspire environmental efforts. She is a coordinator for Bird City, which has been a meaningful way for her to connect with the community and the natural wonders the area offers. It has given her the opportunity to encourage people to explore beyond Wabasha's city limits. “This is one of the most important birding areas in the country, and being a part of the Mississippi River Flyway is a big deal,” she said.
Bird City organizes walks and hikes throughout the year, and Nancy encourages anyone interested to sign up for an event. “People shouldn’t be shy because all experience levels are welcome to join,” she said, adding that they have extra binoculars to share. For more information or local events, follow Bird City on Facebook or visit their website for the full schedule.