[EBB Sightings] bird activity is....mushrooming

On Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:35:53 -0800 (PST), debbie viess

>On Sunday at Lake Chabot, I heard the first snatches
>of a Swainson's thrush song, and just maybe the first
>few notes of an Olive Sided Flycatcher (Quick Threee,
>hold the beers), too.

These would be unprecedented. According to Weston's data from Berkeley
(cited in the Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas) 

Earliest Olive-sided is March 28th 
Earliest Swainson's Thrush is April 14th

For all of California (1972-1984)

Earliest Olive-sided is March 19th 
Earliest Swainson's Thrush is April 6th

Similar arrival schedules have been noted in Santa Cruz County with data
going back 33 years:

http://santacruzbirdclub.org/Spring%20Arrival%20Dates.htm

Clearly something very unusual is going on. 

-- 
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044   jmorlan (at) ccsf.edu 
Birding Classes start Feb 5 in SF   http://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee   http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/