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Re: Banked birds

From:

Marcia Watson

Reply-To:

Marcia Watson

Date:

Sat, 18 Feb 2006 15:26:19 -0500

I want to add my perspective on the issues of listing, subspecies, and why we bird.  

I am a lister.  But listing for me is the means to the end, not the end itself.  For me, the end, the goal, the motivation that gets me out birding is simply learning what is out there.  I am intrigued by the way that birds use habitats, by the richness of species diversity and speciation, by differerences in behavior, by migration and range use and expansion, by how many species may be using a little tiny patch of habitat that has somehow survived in our asphalt-dominated world.  Listing gives structure to my learning - my list helps me make sure that I am covering all the habitats and all the seasons in the geographic areas that I choose to cover.  To be sure, there are gaps in my list - seabirds, for example, are a big hole.  My list is not just a list of birds I have seen; the gaps show how much I have still to learn.  My list would be no fun at all if it was 100% full.

Since my goal is learning and I place no limits on that, my view is that identification of subspecies and races just adds to the fun.  And I have the most fun when birding with like-minded folks, including the hard-working members of the MD/DC Records Committee, who in my experience have always been gracious and friendly and at the same time, professional and objective.

Marcia



Marcia Watson
Elkton, MD
Cecil Bird Club
Maryland Ornithological Society

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Powell 
  To:  
  Sent: Saturday, February 18, 2006 1:48 PM
  Subject: Re: Banked birds


  Mr. Wood,

  I am not one to enter into the different frays that occur on the
  listserves, but have been amazed by this thread. Mr. Wood, in a very short
  time on this list serve , you have made your opinion clear on a variety of
  issues. Giving your opinion is fine, insulting people such as the nine
  records committee members, who you probably cannot even name is going much
  farther. Your generalities of the issue is striking, lets try and improve
  the issues with facts and recommendations for improvement instead of
  trashing people or the present system. If your talking about a different
  state, say it, as of now you appear to be trashing the MD records committee.

  Do a little research and you will find sightings have been excepted without
  photo's or video. A recent example is the first state record of Reddish
  Egret, seen in Ocean City by John Hubbell. Read the links Mr. Davis sent
  you and realize the records committee makes decision on hundreds of reports
  from all over the state. Yes, the group can make errors, but their
  following a established protocol which allows for revisiting of sightings
  and corrections if necessary. Sometimes, you need to just realize folks on
  the records committee are doing their best they can and may have made an
  error. As previously described, please take a deep breath, especially 
  before sending out a message to the listserve making accusations on folks
  you have never met.

  I'm done,

  On a birding note, the Peregrine Falcon is still present today on the
  building by the Rockville Metro.

  Dave Powell
  
  Germantown, MD


  > [Original Message]
  > From: Richard Wood <>
  > To: <>
  > Date: 2/17/2006 10:14:38 PM
  > Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Banked birds
  >
  > Of course, no record committee ever says they are going to go out of
  their way to ridicule someone's reported sightings.  I also dispute the
  statement "A birder's reputation by itself, in the absence of acceptable
  documentation, will never cause a report to be accepted."
  >  
  >  Richard
  >  
  >  
  > Richard L. Wood, Ph. D.
  > Computational Chemist
  > Cockeysville, MD 21030
  > 
  >
  > ----- Original Message ----
  > From: Phil Davis <>
  > To: 
  > Sent: Friday, February 17, 2006 8:10:39 PM
  > Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Banked birds
  >
  > Dr. Wood:
  >
  > Certainly, no one can speak for ALL records committees; however, maybe
  this 
  > link from our MD/DC Records Committee web pages can help you with our 
  > position on such things ...
  >
  > The link is entitled ...
  >
  >          <http://www.mdbirds.org/mddcrc/pdf/rcrejects.pdf>Not-Accepted 
  > Reports -- Some background on "not-accepted" bird sighting reports.
  >
  > The actual URL is here ...
  >
  >          http://www.mdbirds.org/mddcrc/pdf/rcrejects.pdf
  >
  > Hope this helps.
  >
  > Phil
  >
  >
  > At 22:50 02/16/2006, Richard Wood wrote:
  > >Paul, I thought we were finished with this.
  > >
  > >  To clarify to everyone, my problem with the whole thing about "is it a 
  > > Western Nashville Warbler or a Western Palm Warbler" (and I'm not
  angry, 
  > > despite what others think) is that a) nobody I've EVER birded with has 
  > > EVER looked at a bird with the thinking that it might be "another" 
  > > species, and b) record committee members are so darn SMUG, despite 
  > > appearances to the contrary.
  > >
  > >  As for b), record committee members act like your friend when you
  report 
  > > something "rare", then are real quick to shoot you down and laugh at
  you 
  > > while doing it.  That applies to the "cronies" of record committee 
  > > members as well.  Some even try to offer you "assistance" with your
  "lack 
  > > of bird ID skills" (can you say Mark Stackhouse?) (I know that there
  are 
  > > birders from other states lurking on this list, that is why I mention 
  > > Mark), and after insulting you, they try to befriend you.
  > >
  >
  > ===================================================
  > 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
  > ===================================================