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Re: SEWR & Dickcissel retraction

From:

Walter Ellison

Reply-To:

Walter Ellison

Date:

Sat, 23 Jul 2005 08:56:39 -0400

Greetings,

We are concerned that readers of MDOsprey will read J.B. Churchill's
retraction of his Dickcissel report and automatically assume there was never
a Dickcissel present at the location. Atlas block buster John Drummond saw
his bird as well as heard it. He is very familiar with the species from many
years of doing grassland bird surveys in northern Virginia. The bird may
very well have moved on if he was unsuccessful in attracting a female.

This is a classic example of the "Patagonia Rest Area Effect", in which one
rarity draws observers to an area with the subsequent discovery of other
rarities. After we told him about George Jett's discovery, John recalled
that the fields did look appropriate for Sedge Wren as well. This is also a
very good example of how atlas work leads to the discovery of great birds
and birding spots (note this is wisely managed private land, everybody stay
on the owner's good side please).

Good Atlasing & Birding,

Walter Ellison
MD-DC Atlas Coordinator - MOS
23460 Clarissa Road
Chestertown, MD 21620
phone: 410-778-9568
e-mail: 

"A person who is looking for something doesn't travel very fast" - E. B.
White (in "Stuart Little")

"Are there *ever* enough birds?" - Connie Hagar as quoted by Edwin Way Teale
in "Wandering through Winter"

----- Original Message -----
From: "J.B. Churchill" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2005 5:24 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] SEWR & Dickcissel retraction


> I heard back from George Jett earlier today. He had a hard time with my
> directions but eventually found the spot I posted about the other evening.
> He did not find a Dickcissel but instead found (and photographed) a
> SEDGE WREN at this location. After contemplating this bird that I tried
> for a long time to see and only ever heard, I'm comfortable saying that
> I'm not sure I heard a Dickcissel at all and that the song I heard
probably
> does sound better for Sedge Wren. I'm probably going to go investigate
> further early tomorrow morning if nothing else comes up.