Historical records are showing that diverse Canaries in our “coal mine” environment generally have been disappearing, despite protections. We have been conducting periodic, consistent breeding bird censuses since 1994 in a protected riparian area on San Francisco Bay’s east shore, relatively stable in local weather and vegetation. We detected an overall decline in breeding birds there, hypothetically corresponding to steadily increasing human activity in adjacent areas. Yet bird declines were not steady at all. Reports of unusually warm, calm weather around San Francisco Bay in 2004, and unusually warm, humid weather in 2006 [(>36 degrees C, day, and night)], prompted us to compare these old and newer bird data to weather records, which also illustrated a 2000 heat event locally. To test hypothetical effects of these unusual heat events of 2000/2004/2006, we compared bird data before and after those years, yielding a clear, persistent reduction in most breeding avifauna, after those events. Annual Maximum temperatures also became repeatedly >36 degrees C, which might be a threshold for many of these birds. Such heat again in 2017 did not appear to decrease these bird populations further. Trends in comparing general weather and breeding bird data might not be clear in such coastal, benign climates, within the birds’ adaptations. Yet occasional, extreme environmental events, particularly in a protected area avoiding much habitat degradation, appears to have a major negative, lasting effect on these populations

David (AKA “DOC QUACK”) Riensche, a Certified Wildlife Biologist, is a Wildlife Biologist II for the East Bay Regional Park District where he has worked for over 33 years. For 24 years he has been a member of the Biology Department faculty at Las Positas College, where he teaches courses in biology, ecology, and vertebrate natural history. He is a recipient of The National Association for Interpretation (Region 9) – Outstanding Field Naturalist Award. David holds advanced degrees in both Natural Resource Management and Environmental Education, and an undergraduate degree in Biology (Wildlife). His current research and habitat restoration efforts are diverse, focusing on the following species and groups: California Least Tern, Western Snowy Plover, Black Skimmer, Forster’s Tern, Western and Clark’s Grebes, Bald Eagle, Ridgway’s Rail, California Black Rail, Burrowing Owl, California Red-legged Frog, California Tiger Salamander, Western Pond Turtle, Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse, San Francisco Dusky-footed Woodrat, Bats, Fairly Shrimp, Central California grassland lizards and small mammals, riparian and oak woodland breeding bird community structure, shorebird nesting population studies, upland gamebirds and waterfowl management.