Scott, Thanks for your vote of confidence to the Bird Records Committee.

The reasons for rejecting a record are many and varied. When rare birds
are reported, it is just that, a report. This does not constitute a
"record" of that species presence in Washington. Rare birds are not
common. Anybody who regularly reports rare birds is either out birding an
awful lot, or they have active imaginations. Too often the latter is all
too true.

Please do not give up on the "system". It promotes careful observations
and good documentation. Future generations of bird lovers deserve a good
picture of what was normal for the last of the 20th century. Not wild
speculations leading to the belief that hundreds of species can be found
almost anywhere.

Tom Schooley, dunlin at mail.tss.net
Olympia, WA

----------
> From: Scott Richardson <salix at halcyon.com>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Synchronicity?
> Date: Monday, March 17, 1997 8:46 PM
>
> >From Keith Arnold's ORNITH-L post (3/17 1:48):
> > As the originator and long-time member of the Texas Bird
> > Records Committee, I can assure you that we all face the same
> > problems in obtaining sufficient documentation. Most birders simply
> > won't take the time to write up their findings.
>
> >From Jerry Tangren's Tweeters post (3/17 1:20):
> > I know I certainly won't
> > report any more rare birds. With the recent reviews of the WA rare Bird
> > Committee, I've seen my reportings over the years to Am. Birds
essentially
> > slandered without even contacting me. Think I'm going to voluntarily go
> > through the process?
>
> The Washington Bird Records Committee is an all-volunteer group with
eight
> members who recently have managed to meet twice per year to review bird
records
> going back more than a century. They admit taking a conservative approach
to
> accepting records.
> I wish I had lots of experience reporting rare birds to committees, but
I'm
> afraid I just don't run into rarities the way some people do. I know that
on
> the occasions I have written up a report, I have generally done a poor
job.
> It's HARD to write detailed descriptions of plumage and behavior. And
sketches?
> Photographs? Besides, I wouldn't report the bird if I didn't KNOW what I
saw!
> I'm not assuming Jerry's attitude echoes mine, but I believe records
> committees are all too familiar with the pattern. Yes, perhaps they
should be
> more responsive. But if they fail on that front, I am willing to swallow
my
> pride and strive toward making a rock-solid case for my next rare
sighting,
> rather than reject the system altogether.
> --
> Scott Richardson
> northeast Seattle
> salix at halcyon.com
> http://www.halcyon.com/salix/