[SBB] Merc Story on Red Phalaropes

[Ron Wolf <[[email protected]]>]

The Mercury News Wednesday has a story on the fallout of
red phalaropes, quoting some of SBB's regular contributors.

-- Ron Wolf

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Rare birds mystify scientists
HUNGRY, STORM-TOSSED RED PHALAROPES SIGHTED IN BAY AREA


By Lisa M. Krieger
Mercury News


Pacific storms have blown thousands of rare sea birds into the Bay 
Area, many of them weak, emaciated and seeking refuge in rain puddles 
of suburban yards and parking lots.

The small birds, called red phalaropes, ordinarily live many miles 
off the Pacific coast and are rarely seen on land.

Since the afternoon of Christmas Day, they've been sighted in Los 
Gatos, Palo Alto, San Francisco, even Campbell's percolation ponds at 
Budd Road and San Tomas Expressway. Most abundant on the coast, a 
flock of 1,200 was reported near Half Moon Bay.

``This is really unusual,'' said Alvaro Jaramillo, a biologist with 
the San Francisco Bird Observatory in Alviso. ``There are more here 
than anybody can remember, and we don't know why.''....


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Full story is at:

    http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/13497042.htm

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