[EBB Sightings] They're back!

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Yes, yesterday I saw my first Gold-crowned here in the yard and today, =
the first Fox Sparrow of the season.

Sylvia Sykora
Melville Drive near Castle
Oakland
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Phila Rogers=20
  To: Mt. Diablo audubon=20
  Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2005 5:55 PM
  Subject: [EBB Sightings] They're back!


  Dear Birders:

  For maybe thirty years, my Septembers have included an early morning =
ritual.  Beginning about September 15, I walk each early morning up the =
street to where my street ends at the dirt path to Lawrence Hall of =
Science.  I continue on the trail to the parking lot whistling a poor =
three-note imitation of the song of the golden-crowned sparrow.  I stop =
often to listen for that plaintive call coming up from the edge of the =
bay-oak canyon below.  And this morning, I heard what I have been =
waiting for.  For the benefit of no one, I let out the traditional whoop =
which says not only are those sweet singers back, but now it's =
officially fall!

  I make note of the date in my nature notebook and this is their =
earliest return.  I recall one September several years ago when they =
were late in arriving and several letters to the editor of the SF Chron =
appeared, including one from our dear Arthur Feinstein, asking: "Where =
are they?"

  I always try to correlate the arrival date with the kind of winter to =
come.  But though I always wish for predictors, the golden-crowns appear =
to just arrival on some time table of their own, probably having =
something to do with conditions at their nesting grounds in the far =
north and nothing to do with conditions here.

  But to me they are the harbingers -- the best and dearest news that =
the long summer doldrums are finally over -- the coastal summers of =
often tenacious fogs and a landscape that grows grayer and dryer by the =
day.

  I was born here which is maybe why I celebrate fall with such a joyous =
heart.  Soon the first rain with come and the land will spring to life =
with heightened colors, water again in dry streambeds, the first tiny =
blades of green grass appearing among the dry stubble.  Last night =
skeins of high cirrus clouds to the north caught the last color of the =
day and during the night I could see that the full moon was soften by =
the same thin sheets of cloud.  Cirrus clouds suggest to me that the =
first storms are edging south and we've made it through another summer!

  Phila Rogers

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in the=20
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----- Original Message ----- 
  From:=20
  Phila =
Rogers=20
  
  
To: Mt. Diablo audubon =
  
Sent: Sunday, September 18, =
2005 5:55=20
  PM
  
Subject: [EBB Sightings] =
They're=20
  back!
  


  
Dear Birders:
  
 
  
For maybe thirty years, my Septembers have included an early =
morning=20
  ritual.  Beginning about September 15, I walk each early morning =
up the=20
  street to where my street ends at the dirt path to Lawrence Hall =
of=20
  Science.  I continue on the trail to the parking lot whistling a =
poor=20
  three-note imitation of the song of the golden-crowned sparrow.  =
I stop=20
  often to listen for that plaintive call coming up from the edge of the =
bay-oak=20
  canyon below.  And this morning, I heard what I have been waiting =

  for.  For the benefit of no one, I let out the traditional whoop =
which=20
  says not only are those sweet singers back, but now it's officially=20
fall!
  
 
  
I make note of the date in my nature notebook and this is their =
earliest=20
  return.  I recall one September several years ago when they were =
late in=20
  arriving and several letters to the editor of the SF Chron appeared, =
including=20
  one from our dear Arthur Feinstein, asking: "Where are they?"
  
 
  
I always try to correlate the arrival date with the kind of =
winter to=20
  come.  But though I always wish for predictors, the golden-crowns =
appear=20
  to just arrival on some time table of their own, probably having =
something to=20
  do with conditions at their nesting grounds in the far north and =
nothing to do=20
  with conditions here.
  
 
  
But to me they are the harbingers -- the best and dearest news =
that the=20
  long summer doldrums are finally over -- the coastal summers of often=20
  tenacious fogs and a landscape that grows grayer and dryer by the =
day.
  
 
  
I was born here which is maybe why I celebrate fall with such a =
joyous=20
  heart.  Soon the first rain with come and the land will spring to =
life=20
  with heightened colors, water again in dry streambeds, the first tiny =
blades=20
  of green grass appearing among the dry stubble.  Last night =
skeins of=20
  high cirrus clouds to the north caught the last color of the day and =
during=20
  the night I could see that the full moon was soften by the same thin =
sheets of=20
  cloud.  Cirrus clouds suggest to me that the first storms =
are edging=20
  south and we've made it through another summer!
  
 
  
Phila Rogers
  
 
  


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