MD Osprey:

Yes, such as system was proposed ... in 1973 (!!!).

I just ran across this almost 40-year old article while doing some 
MD/DC Records Committee research in the Maryland Birdlife archives 
and thought you might get a kick out of it.

FYI, Great Cormorant was added to the MD List based on a sighting of 
12 birds near St. George Island (St. Mary's County) on March 7, 1971 
by Edward Schell, Harvey Mudd, and Marion Mudd.

Enjoy!

Phil ("Ahh, nostalgia just isn't what it used to be.") Davis

<grin>

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

September 1973 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 29, No. 3 p. 131-132

STATEWIDE "RARE BIRD ALERT" NETWORK PROPOSED

Dickson J. Preston

How often have you heard a report--too late to do anything about
it--that a rare bird has been sighted in the Maryland region but that
"it's undoubtedly gone by now"? Or read in Maryland Birdlife, months
after the event, that Great Cormorants were observed in St. Marys [sic]
County, Northern Phalaropes in Talbot, a White Pelican at Blackwater?

If you had known in time, perhaps you'd have jumped into your car
and driven to the area in hopes of adding a life bird to your list or at
least of sharing in a very unusual birding experience. But no statewide
network exists for alerting M0S members promptly to such opportunities.
In the opinion of many of us, there should be one.

Some MOS chapters do have local alerting systems through which
their own members can learn when and where unusual sightings are made.
Most chapters do not. And there is no present method by which members
of one chapter can be routinely informed of what members of another
chapter have observed.

The local systems vary greatly in form. Some are little more than
"word-of-mouth" exchanges by which a member endeavors to let others
know when he hears of something in which he thinks they would be interested.
Baltimore has a more formal Bird Exchange headed by Mrs. Alice
Kaestner (377-8990). In the Washington area, the Audubon Naturalist
Society has a "Voice of the Naturalist" number (301-652-3295). On it
a recording, which is changed weekly, gives news of bird reports and
Audubon activities.

A simple alert system set up in the Autumn of 1971 by the Talbot
chapter might serve as a model for others, and perhaps establish the
basis on which a statewide network could be formed. Mrs. Edward O.
Hulburt (822-0996) has agreed to serve as clearing agent for information
to Talbot members. She keeps a list of those who have expressed interest
in being notified of unusual sightings in or near Talbot County. Anyone
having such a report is asked to telephone her, and she in turn telephones
the members on her list. Each member, if he wishes, also can give
the clearing agent a short list of specific species which he especially
hopes to see. Mrs. Hulburt's name and number also have been given to
experienced MOS birders outside Talbot County in hopes they will call
when a real rarity is reported, especially on the Eastern Shore.

If every chapter had such a clearing agent for its own members,
MOS would be well on its way to the badly needed state,wide network.
A dozen or so people, by keeping each other informed, could keep the
entire state membership aware of what was going on throughout Maryland.
(Except for really remarkable sightings, it is doubtful if expensive
long distance telephone calls would prove necessary; post card reports
would delay the information only a day or two.)

Not every MOS member could or would take advantage of the information
made available. But I believe enough would do so to make a statewide
"Rare Bird Alert" network well worthwhile.

RD 5, Box 607, Easton



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