[EBB Sightings] Breeding Winter Wrens in Alameda County

In the 'Checklist of Birds of the East Bay Region, California' (1989) by Richard A. Erickson, nesting of Winter Wren was only assumed, not 'Confirmed'. During the fieldwork for the Alameda County Breeding Bird Atlas (not yet published), they were 'Confirmed' in the Alameda County portion of 2 partial blocks (part of the blocks were in Contra Costa County) and 2 complete blocks (all in Alameda County). A block was 5 km on a side, making it 25 square kilometers. One of the partial blocks included the stream trail where Steve Glover found the first 'Confirmed' nest record for the county. Another came from the partial block to the northeast. The complete block south of the stream trail had another. None of these was completely unexpected. The other complete block in which they were 'Confirmed' was unexpected. Kevin Hintsa found a nesting pair along Ward Creek in Hayward.

Bob