Have you noticed the tall green tower in Apache Shores and wondered what it is?
It’s a Chimney Swift Tower, created by Presley Blake of Troop 4540 as an Eagle Scout project and dedicated to Apache Shores POA in December 2024. It’s located at the parking lot end of the Indian Creek Trail. Once you enter the trail and cross the first creek, the trail splits. Take the trail to the left, and it’s right there.
The inspiration for Presley’s project was close to home. Chaetura Canyon Bird Sanctuary, located right here in the Apache Shores area, has become an important center for Chimney Swift conservation, research, and education. The sanctuary takes its name from Chaetura pelagica, the scientific name for the Chimney Swift, and is home to numerous towers designed specifically for the birds.
Presley consulted with Paul and Georgean Kyle, the longtime stewards of Chaetura Canyon and nationally recognized Chimney Swift researchers, while developing her project.
Chimney swifts are small migratory birds that spend most of their days in flight. They once relied largely on hollow trees for nesting and roosting, but as those natural sites became less available, they adapted to chimneys and other human-made structures. Specially designed towers provide another place for the birds to nest and roost.
The Apache Shores tower brings a little piece of that conservation work into our community. Visitors are asked to enjoy it from a distance and not disturb the tower or any wildlife using it.
Thank you to Presley and everyone who helped make this Eagle Scout project possible. It’s also a nice reminder that one of Central Texas’s special places for bird conservation is right here in our own neighborhood.
The Chimney Swift Tower provides habitat for local wildlife. Visitors are asked not to disturb the tower or the wildlife using it.
The Chimney Swift Tower was created by Presley Blake of Troop 4540 as an Eagle Scout project and dedicated to Apache Shores POA in December 2024.
