MD Osprey:

Just to chime in on Leo's reference to sketching ... Having put in a 
few years as the Secretary of the MD/DC Records Committee, my 
observation is that artists (especially bird artists) tend to provide 
excellent rarity documentation (either as sketches or even just in 
written reports) ... I assume because they are trained to look at the 
entire bird from beak to tail, and note every feather track and soft 
part details.

HOWEVER, even if you have no artistic ability (as with yours truly), 
attempting to sketch a rare bird does indeed (as Leo states) focus 
you on the details. A sketch can be rudimentary and still covey lots 
of good information.

Check out our web page on documenting rarities on the MD/DCRC web page ...

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

... especially the article by Claudia Wilds and Rob Hilton.

If you don't have a camera and a long lens (or even if you do!), I 
suggest birders always try to sketch rarities when they encounter them!

Hope this helps ...

Phil


PS. Northern Shrikes are no longer reviewable in Maryland. Loggerhead 
Shrikes, however, are reviewable!


At 19:12 11/06/2008, Leo Weigant wrote:
>I learned that even difficult calls can be made (Loggerheaad vs.
>Northern
>Shrike has always bedeviled me) with a little help from
>
>2.) trying to make a sketch -- nothing else focuses your mind on the 
>details like "scanning" the Polaroid in your mind's eye to guide 
>your hand and pencil