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Chimney swifts (Chaetura pelagica) have been on the decline for the past 20 years (Cink and Collins, 2002) at a yearly rate of seven percent (Kearney, 2012a). However, as a species that helps to control insect populations such as mosquitoes, it is imperative that they stay around. There are several possible reasons for their decline, such as environmental and human causes. Before nesting in chimneys, the chimney swifts nested in old hollow trees. (Davis, 1889). In Connecticut, the Chimney Swift population is stable, but the swifts do not occupy every seemingly suitable chimney (Rubega et al., 2013). Structure of the buildings and environmental factors of surrounding lands were measured to see what effect, if any, they had on where the chimney swifts chose their nest locations. From May 15, 2012 to June 30, 2012, chimney swifts were observed an hour before until an hour after sunset in the town of Willimantic, Connecticut. During observation, the building location was documented if swifts were observed entering the chimney. Building height, location of chimney, material used to build the chimney, and overhanging vegetation were all measured. Distance to urban woodlots, distance to water, distance to roosts, lot size, year built, and property elevations were all measured after the observation period using WINCOG-GIS found on the Town of Windham website (http://www.wincog-gis.org/). The four closest buildings to each nesting site were also measured. Comparative tests such as the Mann-Whitney test and Chi-squared were done using Minitab version 16 comparing nesting and non-nesting locations. Differences exist (5% limit) between nesting and non-nesting locations for distance to nearby urban woodlots. Overall there was no trend between any of the variables that were measured. A total of twenty-one nests were used in this study of which nine were previously unknown. In addition a new roost was discovered. Future studies could possibly investigate the inner structure of the chimneys to help determine reasons that would make one building more suitable for nesting than the other. Social aspects of the chimney swifts may also be affecting nest locations, as they congregate before and after their migration. Movement between roost locations could also be inspected to see if the nesting pair uses the roost during the breeding season.

Oval three-quarter length studio portrait of a young woman wearing a striped and floral print dress. Trim at the collar, cuffs, and in a zigzag pattern on the bodice consists of narrow ribbon, probably treaded through factory-made lace. A corsage, apparently of the same ribbon, is on her left shoulder. A broad belt, apparently also of ribbon, is fastened with a brooch. Other jewelry includes earrings and a ring. The woman appears to be wearing makeup, consisting of lipstick and eyebrow pencil. Handwritten on back: "Lora L. Brown 1903."