[EBB Sightings] Tree swallows have arrived in Fremont

I received similar replies from Dominik Mosur and Matthew Dodder, and I defer to all the experts who question that these birds are truly FOS. I didn't realize that "FOS" had a specific connotation related to migration. Tree swallows nest at Lake Elizabeth, but they leave in early fall and are not seen again for months and months. I don't know where they go in the meantime.  I should have said "these are the first tree swallows I've seen this season at Lake Elizabeth."

Stephanie Floyd
Fremont


--- On Thu, 1/14/10, Daniel Edelstein  wrote:

> From: Daniel Edelstein 
> Subject: Re: [EBB Sightings] Tree swallows have arrived in Fremont
> To: "Stephanie Floyd" 
> Date: Thursday, January 14, 2010, 2:20 PM
> Thanks for your interesting and
> excellent EBB sightings post, Stephanie.
> 
> Fascinating phenology, in terms of the TREE SWALLOW
> sightings.
> 
> As one thought worthy of banter among us all here, please
> note your TREE SWALLOW individuals may have been First of
> Season (FOS), but, then again, there's another potential
> valid option:
> 
> They are "over-wintering" or, more exact, "non-breeding
> season residents" that are present in the Bay Area (whereas,
> of course, a larger percentage of the breeding populations
> for this species travel farther south than the Bay Area as
> obligate neotropical migrants).
> 
> In fact, in this sense, it's true that Marin Co., for
> example, has during multiple recent "winter"
> seasons/non-breeding seasons hosted small populations of
> TREE SWALLOW. Perhaps this also true for the Fremont area? I
> suspect as such, given the paragraph below at the XX where I
> outline the typical, AVERAGE return date for TREE SWALLOW in
> the Bay Area according to records (1967-1989 and 1900-1980,
> below at XX)
> 
> Note for folks interested in seeing TREE SWALLOW now or
> soon:
> 
> A good spot to see this species during the non-breeding
> season is the
> Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds, San Rafael (off Smith Ranch
> Rd.). Directions to this spot are easily Googled with a "Las
> Gallinas Wildlife Ponds" search in the box at
> www.google.com
> 
> That's not to say, Stephanie, again, that your swallows
> were not migrants. Perhaps they are early ones back. But we
> won't know for sure unless banding occurred on the
> individuals you espied and a recapture of them in nets
> occurs to confirm their recent whereabouts/travels from late
> 2009 through today.
> 
> XX
> 
> The historical/typical AVERAGE return for TREE SWALLOW in
> the Bay Area according to a nice chart in Dave Shuford's
> "The Marin Co. Breeding Bird Atlas" (Bushtit Books, 1993) is
> 2/13 at the Palomarin Field Station near Bolinas, Marin
> Co.....and 2/22 for Marin Co. (data from various sources as
> compiled by Dave Shuford). 
> 
> Again, thanks for the post.
> 
> Regards, Daniel
> 
> 
> Daniel Edelstein
> 
> Novato, CA (Bay Area)
> 
> &
> 
> 
> Ellison Bay, WI
> 
> http://www.warblerwatch.com 
> 
> My two blogs:
> 
> http://warblerwatch.blogspot.com 
> (my blog devoted to wood-warblers)
> 
> http://danielsmerrittclasses.blogspot.com
> 
> (my blog focused on classes I teach at 
> Merritt College in Oakland, CA, including my next
> one -- "Bird Song Ecology/Birding By Ear" that begins in
> 4/10)
> 
> 12 Kingfisher Court
> Novato, CA 94949-6628 USA
> 415-382-1827 (voice & DSL fax)
>