Date:         Thu, 27 Sep 2001 07:55:00 -0400
Reply-To:     Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         "S. Hoffmann" <hoffmany@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject:      Re: Wht Morph Great Blue at Fort McHenry
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Hi Marshall and all,
    Thanks for pointing out that the Great Blue Heron has subspecies.  I
just got my AviSys software updated and the latest release includes
subspecies listing capability.  Now I just have to figure out what
subspecies all my previous sightings have been. I will probably just guess
based on distribution!
S. Hoffmann
----- Original Message -----
From: "Marshall Iliff" <Miliff@AOL.COM>
To: <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 8:49 PM
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Wht Morph Great Blue at Fort McHenry


> MDOsprey,
>
> Hopefully all you listers and chasers noted this post. I REALLY hope
someone
> can get out there to confirm and document this sighting, as it is a first
for
> Maryland. The Records Committee will definitely be interested in reviewing
> this report. No, you can't count it as a new species on your
list...yet...but
> that's no reason not to go look for it.  It may very well be split in the
> near future and is a far rarer bird at these climes than Purple Gallinule
(or
> even Black-bellied Whistling-Duck!).
>
> "White morph" Great Blue Herons, or Great White Herons, surely have their
> origins in South Florida. The southern subspecies "occidentalis"
apparently
> has a dark morph in addition to the well-known white morph (=Great White
> Heron). Great White Heron ID is well treated in Sibley and other field
> guides, and the key field marks to separate from Great Egret are the
> yellowish leg color, thicker, longer bill, substantially larger overall
size,
> and the presence of a short head plume.
>
> It has been recorded from MA, NY, NJ, PA, DE, and NC, but never VA or MD.
The
> PA record was quite old, NJ had one last Aug, NY has several old records
> including one recent one on Staten Island. The MA and DE birds were the
same
> in about 1993...so the total records for the Northeast numbers only about
> 7...now 8.
>
> Perhaps Jim Peters (or Gail) could post some more details about exactly
where
> this bird was seen? I get back from 3 weeks in CA tomorrow morning and
will
> head to Ft. McHenry first thing...will post any further news...
>
> Best,
>
> Marshall Iliff
>
>
>
> > Around noon today Jim Peters spotted a wht morph Great-Blue. Still there
at
> > 4:15 PM
> > He describes the bird: legs pale, yellowish white, beak pale yellow
> > Jim doesn't have a scope & couldn't get a good look at the eye color.
> > Jim's leading his weekly Fort McHenry evening walk tonight beginning at
> > 6:00.
> > If possible he'd like to have some "expert(s)" take a look at the bird.
> >
> > Gail Frantz
> > Reisterstown, MD
> > guineabird@aol.com
> >
>
> ***********************
> Marshall Iliff
> miliff@aol.com
> Annapolis, MD
> ************************
>
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