Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 11:19:19 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Gail Mackiernan Subject: Re: Soaring Anhingas and cormorants In-Reply-To: Message of Wed, 2 May 2001 09:16:42 -0400 from Hi all -- I think the point of all this discussion is: 1) use caution when viewing and IDing birds you do not know well BUT... 2) always be aware of the possibility of something out of the ordinary. Most unusual birds are found by experienced birders but sometimes the "finder" is a less-expert person who nevertheless recognizes that what he/she is viewing looks "different." And .. has the courage of their convictions to report same. Two examples -- the Townsend's Solitaire north of Baltimore and of course, Gene Scarpulla's ID of the Ross' Gull at Back River in 1990 -- Gene called Rick Blom, and the rest is history! Unfortunately all-too-often the response is dismissive (we have all been guilty of this) and sometimes very good birds have been "lost" to birders. (I seem to recall a certain Limpkin in Columbia bout 15 years ago....) Now I do not know if Parke saw Anhingas or not (I wasn't there and neither were any of the other folks who have posted on the subject). But to me the brief description sounded possible for them (long thin neck, long tail) vs. Cormorants -- and I agree with Jim Felley that the (few) Cormorants I've seen soaring always seem to making rather hard work of it. Certainly Anhinga is not impossible, I and a lot of other folks have seen this species in Maryland. I also am sure it is over-reported, along with a lot of other species, but I tend to lean towards the side of "report if you have a reasonable feeling that you have seen X bird" rather than keeping quiet because you are worried about being criticized or dismissed. If Parke feels reasonably sure about his birds, he should submit them (that does not mean they will become an accepted record but even reports that don't get accepted provide the basis for establishing patterns of occurance and, possibly in the future, a re-examination of a species' status in the state.) And he can count them if he wants -- it is, as we all say, HIS list. Cheers, Gail Mackiernan Colesville, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================