[va_co_birding] Re: Lines and rules

C. Michael Stinson wrote:

>There is an ABA rule, with interpretation, that applies to similar situations. 
>It reads, in part, "Identification of the bird may be made subsequent to the 
>initial encounter." The main concern is that someone who counts a bird should 
>see enough field marks to identify the bird themselves - you can't just count 
>a little black blip when someone else
>says "that's a Hairy Woodpecker" unless at some point you see or hear some 
>character of the bird that assures you that the bird is in fact a Hairy 
>Woodpecker. It's fine, of course, if someone else explains to you why it is a 
>Hairy Woodpecker. And it's fine if you actually figure out why that's what it 
>was even after it's gone, as long as you saw the relevant features yourself.
>  
>
Mike and all,

Here's a sticky situation relevant to Mike's comments above.  Last 
weekend I birded with Ian Topolsky, Jon Little, and BJ Westervelt at the 
Blue Ridge Center in western Loudoun County.  As we were walking towards 
the woods, 5 herons flew over.  Ian said something to the effect of "Oh 
look five Great Blue Herons" and I gave them a cursory glance with my 
bins and didn't think twice about it.  Jon looked them over well though 
and said "Those are night-herons".  I just got another glimpse before 
they disappeared over the mountains.  Once Jon said it, I knew he was 
right.  They were Black-crowned Night-herons.  The bodies were white, 
the wings were single tone gray (not two toned like you see on GBHE), 
the legs didn't stick out nearly enough for GBHE, and they were too 
small to be GBHE.  Their flight style was different from GBHE.  
Everything clicked for BCNH and I knew it just as soon as Jon said it.  
But I fumbled the id and then wasn't able to confirm it myself because 
the birds were gone.  Ian and I even looked in a field guide once we got 
back to the cars to confirm it.  So, can we put them on our Loudoun 
County lists or not?

Sue

-- 
Susan A. Heath
George Mason University
Environmental Science Department
Fairfax, VA

Secretary, Virginia Avian Records Committee
Keeper, Virginia Comp List at www.obscure-reference.com/~sheath



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