Hi Tweeters


Here's some more of this year's Vancouver BC arrival dates compared to
their 12-year averages. Birds in the first group were in the first post on
this subject, and they arrived this year on average 9 days early. The
second group continues this trend of unusually early dates by likewise
being an average 9 days early. Even without the skewing effect of the
23-day early arrivals of Osprey and Western Tanager, this year's average
arrival is still unusually early.


SPECIES 1995 AVG. +/-(DAYS)


TREE SWALLOW 2.22 2.23 +1
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW 2.23 3.03 -8
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD 3.05 3.11 -6
BRANT 3.13 no arrival baseline
OSPREY 3.16 4.06 -23
SANDHILL CRANE 3.16 4.01 -16
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD 3.19 3.29 -10
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD 3.19 3.24 -5
SAVANNAH SPARROW 3.19 3.31 -12
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER 3.20 3.23 -3
CLIFF SWALLOW 3.21 4.03 -13
SORA 3.27 4.15 -19
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER 3.28 3.30 -2
TURKEY VULTURE 3.28 4.07 -10
(POSTED 3.28.95) AVG. -10 (9.85)


COMMON YELLOWTHROAT 3.29 4.08 -10
GREATER YELLOWLEGS 3.31 4.11 -12
N. ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW 3.31 4.09 -10
BARN SWALLOW 4.01 4.07 -6
LONG-BILLED CURLEW 4.04 4.06 -2
HERMIT THRUSH 4.07 no arrival baseline
SOLITARY VIREO 4.09 4.13 -4
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE 4.09 no arrival baseline
WESTERN TANAGER 4.09 5.02 -23
WHIMBREL 4.09 4.13 -4
(POSTED 4.09.95) AVG. -9 (8.88)
OVERALL AVG. -9 (9.4)


Ah well, the spring is young yet. Be interesting to see which way the
average moves, if it does. Anyone else noticing significant earliness to
their arrivals, or is this just local? Any theories for the rush? Are these
critters cashing in air miles?
Michael Price
Vancouver BC Canada
michael_price at mindlink.bc.ca