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RFI re Chimney Swifts, chimneys



Will Chimney Swifts choose to nest in a chimney which is partially covered?
We would like to encourage them to nest in our chimney, but have the
following situation. We have three flues running up the chimney of our new
house, and the mason has recommended pouring a 3-inch thick concrete cap
about 8-12 inches above the top of the flues, because he's concerned about
snow building up on a damper which is near the top of one of the flues. If
we did this, I assume that the 2 flues without dampers would be accessible
from the side, but I don't know if swifts would (or could) enter them, since
they seem to dive straight down into chimneys, not approach them from the
side.

Come to think about it, I don't know if swifts would (or could) nest in a
chimney built out of those brown masonery flue-liners instead of out of
firebrick. Maybe it's a lost cause anyway. Does any Caolinabirder know? If
they willl build nests on flue-liners, we could perhaps try to cap only the
flue with the damper, and leave the other two flues open.

We'd appreciate any information about this, and are envious that most of you
are observing migration, not watching a house being built in slow motion.

Charlotte Goedsche/Cynthia Janes
Asheville NC
goedschejanes@mindspring.com