** Reply to note from tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat, 11 Oct 1997 00:08:11 PDT
Michael P. writes -

>A really interesting bit of odd behavior for an open-field/beach bird and
>about two weeks early. This might be something that Jack Bowling can comment
>on. Jack, could the recent storm have plucked an up-north SNBU over Alaska
>and whirled it down here? Could this be a 'storm-wreck' bird? Intuition
>suggests a connection.

Yes, quite possible. However, it must be said that SNBU is an extremely
predictable bird that lives up to its name: it shows up usually just ahead
of the first snows of the fall, snows which have been falling everywhere north
of 54N and inland from the coast the past two days. It could also be that one
just got a head of steam on trying to outrun the snow in the interior.

- Jack


Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca