Our Environment: “Chimney Swifts” by Scott Turner

Our Environment: “Chimney Swifts” by Scott Turner

For me, May 1 was the unofficial first day of spring.

On the evening of May 1, I stepped outside after a multiple-day cold rain had finally ended to find that the air was, in fact, no longer chilly, but rather warm and damp. This felt both liberating and revelatory, as if I was experiencing moderation outside for the first time in many months.

Moreover, the skies over Providence, where we live, were once more the feeding and flight space of Chimney Swifts. The birds had returned to Rhode Island that day (or most likely the previous night) after spending the winter in South America.

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Chimney Swifts make twittering sounds. If you had stepped outside in the Creative Capital late on May 1, you, too, might have heard and seen flocks of swifts picking off insects overhead. Swifts are small, dark and cylindrical, with relatively long, curved wings. Interestingly, the swifts returned to Providence on the same day that they did in 2019—May 1.

Like many species of North American birds, Chimney Swift populations are on a steep decline, with a nearly 75-percent drop in their population since 1966, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. For Providence to host a creature that is drastically decreasing in numbers is a blessing. I like sharing my space with other creatures. Swifts also happen to be insect-eating machines, and their diets include a whole lot of mosquitoes.

Speaking of machines, I realized that the sounds within our home changed on May 1 in tune with the new season. That day—#48 in our self-isolation—I was inside when the furnace turned off after what seemed like an incessant and endless run, and the dehumidifier simultaneously snapped on. Warm, humid, spring weather will do that.

As well that day, we found two different types of ants in our house. One was tiny, maybe a rover ant. The other was a little bigger, possibly a pavement ant. One ant often translates to thousands somewhere behind it, particularly if you don’t clean up what they’re after such as food crumbs. Ants invade our home annually. It’s a rite and sign of springtime.

One final May 1 discovery cemented my observations of the day. As I walked the dog that night, my nose picked up a scent both spicy and sweet. It occurred to me that I was smelling the fragrance of flowers in the somewhat sultry air. When I looked around, I discovered that I was standing about 20 feet away from a flowering shrub in a neighbor’s side yard.

I walked over to the bush and inhaled its alluring perfume. I hadn’t smelled blossoms outdoors since fall 2019, which felt like a millions years ago. I know from my horticultural training that this plant was some type of early flowering viburnum. The blooms were formed in white clusters somewhat smaller in diameter than softballs.

When flower scents fill the city air, then I know spring has arrived. Sure enough, May 1 was the first of several warm and sunny days, leading to the emergence of all sorts of springtime fragrances in the evening air. Crabapple, for example flowered a few days later. Lilac followed, as did lily of the valley.

So where are we at present? Still wear your mask, wash your hands, and stand well apart. Now, though, take the time to smell the flowers. They’re back.

Scott Turner is a Providence-based writer and communications professional. For more than a decade he wrote for the Providence Journal and we welcome him to GoLocalProv.com.