Concord, Mass.
1901
July 14
(No 2)
  Chaetura pelagica - On June 8th we heard a Swift in the
chimney of the old cabin. On the 16th 23rd 29th
and 30th of this month two birds spent at least a portion of the day
as well as the entire night in this chimney. No doubt they
were there during the intervening days, also, but I was either
at Lancaster or, if at the cabin, did not have an opportunity to
observe them closely.
  On the morning of July 1st I examined the chimney
carefully. It is about 16 ft. in height with an almost perfectly
straight 14 in. flue lined rather smoothly with troweled mortar.
From the fireplace in the lower cabin, which opens directly
into it, one can see every part of the interior
The Swifts were clinging side to side to the middle of the
face of the north wall but there was not the slightest trace
of a nest to be seen anywhere.
  I spent the following week at Lancaster returning
to Ball's Hill on July 8. The Swifts had built a
nest during the interim, attaching it to nearly the same
spot where they were clinging on the 1st. Apparently
the nest was still unfinished for we could see through
it in many places. Nor did they do anything to amount
to anything in the way of adding to the structure during
the next seven days.
  On the 8th 9th 10th 11th & 12th one or both of them spent
more or less time in the chimney by day and on
several of those days they were there together through
the greater part of the day sitting side by side in the
nest, apparently doing nothing but rest and preen
their feathers. During most of this period the weather
was cool and much of the time cloudy.
On 13th & 14th, clear, hot days, the Swifts left