[va-bird] Re: "Late" birds

Stephen,

You wrote:

> So I have a question for the information gurus: when is it helpful to
report
> 'early' or 'late' birds?
>
> I presume the matter is of some importance since I assume that those who
> update the Blue Book (one due anytime now?) need such information. While I
> realize that the Blue Book is way out of date, it is all we have at the
> moment. So, when it tells me that the normally expected dates for the
> Nashville Warbler in the Piedmont in spring migration are 30Apr-10 May,
what
> is worth reporting from this point of view? Anything outside those dates?
Or
> only sightings at least a week outside them? Or perhaps even sightings
within
> these dates, but close to the limits?

I'm updating the Blue Book for the VSO.  We hope to have it finished and
printed by Spring 2004 at the latest.

For the most part, the date spans given in the Blue Book are approximate,
average ranges of when the bulk of the individuals of a given species are
present in (or move through) a given physiographic province.  The Blue Book
specifically lists extreme dates for some species, indicating the range of
the earliest and latest dates known (at the time that the Blue Book was
written) for the species within a physiographic province.

To make sure that the updated annotated checklist is as accurate as
possible, I'd appreciate hearing about any records that fall close to the
ends of the date spans listed in the Blue Book (i.e., including records
within the dates but close to the limits, as well as records outside of
those limits).  If a record falls outside of "extreme dates" listed in the
Blue Book, please send me the info.

As you wrote, many of the peak counts, extreme dates, etc. in the Blue Book
are out of date.  If records that supersede or add to the information in the
Blue Book have been published in American Birds/Field Notes/North American
Birds, then I have those records.  I also have reports made to the VA BIRDS
list over the past two years.  However, I would welcome hearing about any
other records that "beat" the info listed in the Blue Book, or that anyone
thinks might be significant for any reason.

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide!

Steve Rottenborn
4086 Tarpon Lane
Woodbridge, VA 22193
rottenborn@xxxxxxxxxxxx


You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email 
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.

Other related posts: