Hi Wallace, et al.:

I'll copy this answer to MD Osprey, since I will end it with a 
general request ...

Prothonotory Warbler is solidly on the DC Official List. The question 
mark that you refer on the DC Official List deals just the type of 
documentation that "officially" exists for the species within the 
jurisdiction of DC. We annotate the official lists to indicate if 
there any of the following types of documentation for the species on 
the lists: a specimen ("S"), a photograph ("P"), an audio recording 
("A"), or a written (descriptive) report ("W") that has been 
accepted. The fact that there is no "S" indicates that the 
Smithsonian doesn't have a specimen from DC, and since this is a 
long-time baseline species, there were no records committees around 
to review any photographs or written reports (if they even exist). 
Historical authors accepted the species on the basis of sight records 
and that's how it was promoted onto our Official List for DC.

The first report of the species was by Elliot Coues on May 2, 1861. 
He commented that the species is "extremely rare: apparently only an 
accidental visitor. It ought, however, to be regularly found here, 
even if rarely, as it goes north to New England" (Avifauna Columbia, 
Coues and Prentis, 1883). In 1898, Mrs. L.W. Maynard recorded in 
Birds of Washington DC and Vicinity that it was a casual visitor with 
"three or four records in May."


So, does anyone happen to have a photograph of a Prothonotory Warbler 
that was taken within the District of Columbia? If so, please pass it 
on to the MD/DCRC and we can remove the question mark and add a "P." 
(We probably don't want to go through the time and effort to request 
a detailed written report of this species and review it; I think that 
would be overkill!).

Wallace, thanks for taking the time to review the DC List and asking 
such a good question!

Phil


At 22:57 11/06/2007, you wrote:
>Phil,
>
>I notice that there is a question mark next to the Prothonotory
>Warbler on the DC list.  I did see one in the Kenilworth Aquatic
>Gardens and reported seeing it in MDOSPREY last spring.  In fact in
>that report I described  exactly where others might see it. It never
>occurred to me that it was anything special for DC.  What needs to be
>done to officially remove the question mark.
>
>Wallace
>On Nov 6, 2007, at 9:05 PM, Phil Davis wrote:
>
>>MD Osprey, BRCF-L:
>>
>>We have just updated a number of our MD/DC Records Committee (MD/ 
>>DCRC) data products on committee's web pages.
(snip)


===================================================
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
===================================================