Doesn't this confirm my point. What if Finch had not chased the bird? The record would be wrong. Many of us who will chase birds still look at the bird to learn how to identify it and learn its behavior. My designation is many observers abbreviated as m. ob. Not a mob. Observers being the key word, not checkers or tickers. I think some birds behave differently when at their range edge and as vagrants. This quality is always interesting to study and speculate on. BTW, if you see some agreement with my point I promise not to call you a "tern-coat. -;) Fred Collins At home on the prairie in Waller County Sent from my iPhone On Sep 19, 2013, at 10:29 PM, Tony leukering <greatgrayowl@xxxxxxx> wrote: > All: > I have to, respectfully, disagree with Fred et al. I use this example > frequently, but it's the best example I know of how ignorance (note: NOT > stupidity) and the mob effect can wreak havoc with bird ID. > > Way back when, someone in Maine found a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. The > hordes (or, what could be considered the hordes for birders for that state so > long ago) descended and gleefully ticked the species on their state lists. > Eventually, Davis Finch and Will Russell showed up to ogle the bird > (apparently the first ones with neotropical birding experience to arrive) and > corrected the ID. We now know that a flycatcher with streaks below might be > Variegated Flycacher, the first ABA-area record of which was found in Maine > way back when. > > Tony Leukering > Smith Point, TX > http://smithpointhawkwatch.wordpress.com/ > http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony_leukering/ > http://www.aba.org/photoquiz/ > Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at > //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds > > Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission > from the List Owner > > > ____________________________________________________________ Fast, Secure, NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband. Try it. http://www.netzero.net/?refcd=NZINTISP0512T4GOUT2 Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner