On Thu, 20 Feb 1997, Michael Price wrote:

> Tweets,
>
> Bob Mauritsen says:
>
> >Addendum: I was also able to see the two long forks of the tails of
> >the two swallows, so they must have been barn swallows, despite the
> >apparent lightness of the breasts.
>
> If Barn Swallows, they were wintering regionally: the main population is
> still in South America.
>
> On average in Vancouver BC, it arrives Week 1 April in early arrivals (Week
> 4 March in very early arrival), average arrival Week 2 April.
>
> The pale breast suggests first-year birds, though I would have expected them
> to have molted into the richer cinnamon plumage by now.
>
> Michael Price
> Vancouver BC Canada
> mprice at mindlink.net
>
>
Well, I certainly wouldn't bet the farm on my observation, since (a) I've
been at this birding business for only about a year, and (b) it was very
late in the day and the swallows were somewhat to the west of me. I
notice in Birding in Seattle and King County that barn swallows are not
really expected at all in Feb and March around here. I'll try to have
another look.

Bob Mauritsen
rhm at ms.washington.edu