I don't have Shorebirds of the NW here at work with me, but wouldn't a
January lesser yellowlegs be very unusual? (Seems to me a few greaters
winter in the NW.) If so, the record would be published in Audubon Field
Notes, assuming the proper documentation was sent to the regional editor.
There WOULD be value in determining which species it was.

Mind you, I'm not advocating flushing the bird (luckily I can tell them
apart in other ways!), I'm just responding to the question of records
being published.

On Mon, 11 Dec 1995, Christopher Hill wrote:

>
> An astute friend and I once had this conversation (this was in the wake
> of a "birding ethics" panel forum and debate at our local bird club, and
> the general navel-contemplation that such abstract discussions encourage):
>
> Friend: Let's say you saw a yellowlegs at [a local birding spot] in
> January, and you wanted to verify which species it was by flight call -
> would you feel justified in flushing it?
>
> Me: Well, yes. I think flushing the bird would be justifiable for
> scientific reasons, if the information was only available that way.
>
> Friend: I see...science. And where were you planning to publish the result?
>
>
> That made me think!
>
>
> I think his point is entirely valid. If you don't publish the information
> you get, your efforts should not fall under the term "science." There's
> nothing reprehensible about wanting to satisfy personal curiosity, but I
> think it keeps things in perspective to retain a clear mental picture of
> where the line dividing that from science lies.
>
> Chris Hill
> Everett, WA
> cehill at u.washington.edu
>
>
>