 Chimney swifts travel from Peru to Texas each spring to raise their young. They normally build nests in the hollows of large trees, but most of those trees have been cut down. Since they can't perch like most birds, building a nest in limbs isn't an option. So, the birds started using chimneys as nest sites.
If you have swifts in your chimney, be aware they're protected and it's illegal to disturb them or their active nests. The nests aren't a health or fire hazard but should be removed each year, so clean your chimney in fall after the young have left the nest. Read our magazine story Chirrups in the Chimney for more about chimney swifts.
Chimney swift numbers are in steep decline. These aerial acrobats eat tons of mosquitoes, and they can use your help. Become a swift steward by providing them with a nesting site. You can get started with this basic tower design (PDF).
The monarch butterflies are currently making their way north after wintering in Mexico, and their numbers are up. Texas is in the middle of their migration route, and our wildflowers are having a boom year, so the adults should find plenty of nectar for their journey.
Monarchs also lay their eggs here and need milkweed to do it. It's been added to many gardens in the past few years (maybe even yours). Hopefully there's enough milkweed out there to support this year's monarch caterpillars – we've already seen quite a few eating the antelope-horns milkweed at our headquarters in Austin!
Monarch butterflies are a threatened species. To help them, keep growing butterfly gardens that include plants with spring and fall flowers along with native milkweeds. Minimize your use of pesticide, and don't purchase flowering plants already treated with neonicotinoids – ask for plants that are pesticide-free.
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