[texbirds] "Mark's" Tern
- From: Jon McIntyre <mcintyrebirds@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 02:44:10 -0500
I tried to stay out of this discussion as long as I possibly could but many
people that are MUCH better birders than Mark and I had very valid points. My
questions are as followed.
1) Why go through all this hassle on Texbirds without at least giving a BS
explanation of why the location was not disclosed? I'm sure a simple "it's on
private property" or "I don't want people harassing the bird" would've calmed
most people.
2) Why are all photos of the bird only in flight and with royal terns? Just
seems logical that a perched photo would've been obtained, perhaps with a
sandwich tern present as well. Unless there was something to hide.
3) Why ask for an "ID" help in the first email when, for someone that studies
terns ask much as Mark had to know it was an elegant tern? Only reason I can
think of is for an ego-boost.
4) Every birder that I know has a select few people that they would call,
especially for an ID on a rare bird. I find it odd that apparently nobody was
called or they are keeping their mouth's shut also. I know when I find a
suspect for a rare bird I make at least a couple calls to people that know more
than I do about the bird in question.
Hopefully we have all learned a lesson from this bird, no matter where it was
photographed. I know that it has shown me the importance of sharing rare
sightings with others in order to document it thoroughly. The way I look at
it, I still would get my "ego-boost" if I was the original finder of a
mega-rarity. I hope that all members of the TBRC take a close look at this bird
and it's surroundings and also take into consideration the observers behavior
before accepting this vague and what would be an important Texas record.
Just so everyone on Texbirds knows, when I find "my" elegant tern in Port
Aransas and after I get my pics and call my buddies, EVERYONE on Texbirds will
get specific directions to it.
Jon McIntyre
Ingelside
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