Actually Cameron, joking aside, if I was the reviewer I would accept it with those details. Fred Collins At home on the prairie Waller, TX Sent from my iPhone On Sep 7, 2014, at 4:40 PM, Cameron Carver <c.o.carver@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Fred and Texbirds folk, > > There was no "thinking" that we saw white in the wing. The white was strong > and evident. It was what made me immediately yell out Yellow Rail when it > flushed. My coworker was unfamiliar with the species, but his first comment > was about the white in the wings. While I know that juvenile Sora can show > pale in the wings (as I alluded to in my original post), would the pale be > that evident? > We also tried flushing the bird a second time without success. We only viewed > the bird in flight for ~3 seconds. > > And you are correct, my field notes rely almost totally on the general > feeling I had of the bird as it flushed and the white in the wings. A field > sketch would have been useless as it would have been from memory. As I stated > earlier this year, your memory has a tendency to fill in gaps that are not > the truth. As eBird reviewer for the Panhandle, I must hold a standard for > all sightings. I have invalidated my sightings before for lack of evidence > and I will not hesitate to do it again. As this Yellow Rail may be a first > county record (I haven't had time to check) and is an early date, > invalidation seems likely unless the statewide reviewers step in and decide > otherwise. > > Thanks to those who have chimed in! > Cameron Carver > Lubbock, TX > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Sep 7, 2014, at 10:00, Fred Collins <fcndc@xxxxxxxx> wrote: >> >> I have spent a fair amount of time watching rice harvest for rails. It is >> pretty easy to be mislead by flushing immature Sora Rails. Their rear wing >> white lining can catch the light and reflect very brightly. Also the overall >> color of the bird is so light compared to adult Soras that also lets the >> imagination work wonders. In spite of trying I have never found a Yellow >> Rail during the August harvest cut and by the next cut, usually in October >> Yellow Rails are common enough they are easily differentiated from Sora. >> It's one of those things that if you think you saw wing patches you likely >> didn't because when you actually see them you KNOW you did. In all my years >> of working wet fields and marshes I have only walked up one yellow rail away >> from coastal areas or rice fields. That was in a Brazos County lake margin >> pasture in October. All of the window kills I recall we're also October. >> >> Of course sketches and field notes would help but as a young fellow once >> wrote " if it wasn't photographed it didn't happen" ;-) >> >> Fred Collins >> At home on the prairie >> In Waller County >> ____________________________________________________________ >> The #1 Worst Carb Ever? >> Click to Learn #1 Carb that Kills Your Blood Sugar (Don't Eat >> This!) >> http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/540c73213f63f73203c97st01vuc >> 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 >> >> > 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 > > > ____________________________________________________________ > Odd Trick Fights Diabetes > "Unique" Proven Method To Control Blood Sugar In 3 Weeks. Watch Video. > http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3165/540d06ea97cf36e41fa8mp03vuc > 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