MD Osprey:

News and updates from the MD/DC Records Committee (MD/DCRC):

Committee Members. Completing their three-terms as voting members are 
Jonathan Alderfer, Marshall Iliff, and Paul O'Brien. The committee thanks 
them for all of their efforts. New voting members elected to three-year 
terms are Ed Boyd, Paul Pisano, and Sherman Suter. Paul O'Brien was 
reelected as the Chair (non-voting) and Phil Davis was reappointed as 
Secretary.

Web Site Redesign and Updates. We have redesigned the MD/DCRC web pages, 
located on the Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS) web site. The URL is 
still the same …

         http://www.mdbirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html

Concurrently, we have updated most of the MD/DCRC data products posted on 
these web pages. The majority of the data products are now PDF documents. 
All taxonomy now follows the AOU 44th Checklist Supplement, so ducks are 
found at the beginning of the lists.

Highlights associated with the new and updated data products include:

New "State" Species Added. Since our last update was published (accepting 
the MD Kelp Gull), this new update adds three new species to the Maryland 
list (Reddish Egret, Black-tailed Gull and Green-tailed Towhee) and six to 
the DC list (Greater White-fronted Goose, Tufted Duck, White Ibis, Bridled 
Tern, White-winged Dove and Northern Shrike). Note that the data on the web 
is even later than the information published in the current issue of The 
Maryland Yellowthroat that was just mailed to MOS members. A formal 
decision report on these and other records will appear at some time in the 
future in an issue of Maryland Birdlife. The Maryland list now stands at 
421 species and the DC list stands at 322.

MD and DC Separation. We have separated all of the data associated with our 
two geopolitical jurisdictions (MD and DC). Each now has its own Official 
List of Birds, Review List, chronology of the new species added, and an 
abridged version of the MD/DCRC database for each jurisdiction. (Note: 
historical reports that are still under investigation are not included in 
the web versions of the databases).

2004 Annual Meeting Minutes. The minutes from our February meeting are now 
posted in the "Business and Operations" section. This is a very long 
document; however, added as attachments at the end of the document, you 
will find interesting analyses and comments by Barry Cooper and Paul 
O'Brien on the vagrancy of Black-tailed Gulls; and also an analysis and 
comments by Barry Cooper on the vagrancy of Tufted Ducks and other species.

2004 Skins Workshop Minutes. The minutes from our March Skins Workshop at 
the USNM (aka, the USMNH or the Smithsonian Institution) are also posted. 
These minutes include digital images of our activities and study skins. 
Identification cases studied include: first-winter Ring-billed and Common 
Gull, Audubon's and Manx Shearwater, Bridled and Sooty Terns, and Dusky 
Flycatcher vs. other Empidonax Flycatchers. Of local interest, at the end 
of the 2004 Skins Workshop Minutes document are two images of the 
Smithsonian Institution Rufous Hummingbird that was recovered this winter 
after hitting a window in PA. The bird was banded earlier in the winter at 
the Smithsonian Institution in DC by Mary Gustafson.

Goals and Procedures Document. This document was expanded and extensively 
reorganized. It provides full details on how the committee operates.

Identification and Reference Index. An updated listing of the MD/DCRC file 
of identification and reference articles has been posted.

Acknowledgement. I would like to thank Fran Saunders, our MOS web site 
director for all of her hard work in updating and redesigning the MD/DCRC 
web pages and putting up with me (!).

Phil


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Phil Davis, Secretary
MD/DC Records Committee
2549 Vale Court
Davidsonville, Maryland  21035     USA
301-261-0184
mailto:[log in to unmask]

MD/DCRC Web site:  http://www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html
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