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Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 10:31:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Al Eisner <[[email protected]]>
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Subject: [SBB] Re: Common Moorhens and the Mountain View Forebay
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Bill Bousman wrote:

>       Al had an interesting question about Common Moorhens in the Mountain 
> View Forebay--are there fewer of them there now or are they just harder to see 
> as the cattails grows ever thicker?
> 
>       I have ridden past the forebay once or twice a week since May 1996.  The 
> fraction of days when I've seen Common Moorhen are shown here:
> 
>         YEAR  TRIPS  FRACTION
> 
>         1996    38     0.58
>         1997    50     0.62
>         1998    41     0.66
>         1999    67     0.76
>         2000    76     0.25
>         2001    73     0.33
>         2002    52     0.75
> 
> Note that 1996 and 2002 are partial years and the fraction applies to my trip, 
> not just the forebay.  Thus, if I see birds along Adobe Creek, in the frontage 
> ponds, or in Matadero Creek, I mark the spreadsheet.  Nonetheless, most birds 
> I see are in the forebay.  My two conclusions are: (1) they were hard to find 
> in 2000 and 2001 (only a quarter or third of my trips), (2) this year they 
> have been relatively easy to see (three quarters of my trips), vegetation or 
> not.
> 
>       So, my conclusion is there is no clear trend in frequency of occurrence, 
> but I do not address the issue as to whether there are more or fewer birds.

I was also thinking in terms of numbers.  Back in the late 80s and early 90s
(through at least 1993), my notes show that I often encountered them there in
double digits (the highest number I wrote down was 18), and some days in late
summer saw several families.  But I guess it's just become harder to tell.

									   Al
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