When: September 9, 2026 @ 7:15 pm
Watch the nightly autumnal spectacle with us!
Join Mainspring in counting the Swifts! Every fall 9,000,000+ Chimney Swifts migrate south from their breeding grounds across eastern North America to the Rainforests of the Upper Amazon Basin of South America. On their way south they gather in huge flocks to roost in chimneys. Often in the hundreds down here in Murphy, the sight of them funneling into the chimneys at dusk is thrilling. We will host four gatherings this fall to bring people together and learn about Mainspring’s conservation work while witnessing the Swifts do put themselves to bed.
We will meet in the parking lot behind the Murphy Visitors Center at on Wednesday September 9th at 7:15pm and finish up around 8pm, with the option to wait longer and listen for Nighthawks hunting overhead. Please park out on the street! There will be plenty of parking available. There is a secret entrance to the lot behind the statue. You can also take the ally. View the below graphic and map for directions.
Bring a chair and a pair of binoculars. Binoculars will be available to borrow.Â
Other upcoming events: visit mainspringconserves.org/events
Meet Your Teacher
As Mainspring’s Conservation Outreach Associate, Alina Martin aims to encourage the protection and appreciation of land by connecting communities to the birds, lichens, plants, amphibians, and insects that share our home here in the Southern Blue Ridge. Her birding adventures up have introduced her to a wide variety of habitats, and those experiences make her love South Appalachia all the more and inspire her to continue nurturing her understanding of ecology. Armed with her strong identification knowledge, Alina leads a variety of educational programs here at Mainspring, and finds something curious and new each time. She is a life-long birder, all-around naturalist, and avid user and of eBird and iNaturalist.
