[obol] Winter bird songs

[Karan & Jim Fairchild]

Obol-

  SONG SPARROWS have been singing here for at least a week too, off and on.  And I've heard DARK-EYED JUNCOS sing a little.  I 
remember the Songs often start around the time of the Solstice, but this is early!

Karan Fairchild
6 mi SW of Philomath, Benton Co.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Darrel Faxon" <5hats at peak.org>
To: "obol" <obol at lists.oregonstate.edu>; "Lars and Gail Norgren" <gnorgren at earthlink.net>
Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 8:34 PM
Subject: Re: [obol] Winter bird songs


| Lars,
|   Interesting. I have noted ( and marvelled) in years past that Song
| Sparrows will begin to tune up the day of the winter solstice, or even a few
| days before, if the weather is clear.  Since the earliest sunset actually
| comes some time before the solstice, and by Dec. 21 has already started back
| the other way, it intrigues me that the sparrows apparently are fine tuned
| to the change.  But I have noticed them singing here in Lincoln County for
| about a week already, and to my knowledge, such an early start is
| unprecedented.
|
| Darrel
|