I couldn’t help but smile while reading about Larry Schwitters’ pursuit of Vaux’s swifts (“Swift sleuth,” HCN, 7/23/2012). One of our favorite restaurants near downtown Indianapolis is the Rooftop Restaurant at Fountain Square, atop an old five-story brick building with a magnificent view of the downtown skyline and Midwestern sunsets. In the back of the restaurant, no more than 50 feet off the deck, is a very old brick chimney that is home to what we call chimney swifts.
Each day, near sunset, the birds gather and almost seem to create a vortex as they circle the chimney. They have the same pattern every night — a dive-bomb toward the chimney with a very close flyby, circle around, repeat, then finally a rocket into their nesting place. I still have no idea how they slow down inside the chimney to avoid smashing themselves into the brick. The scene is so popular, the restaurant places a one-page tutorial at each table.
So Larry, if you ever get to Indy, give us a call. The Rooftop offers a great view, good food, adult beverages, and your beloved swifts.
Frank Hanou
Indianapolis, Indiana
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Sleuthing swifts in Indiana.
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