Subject: Re: Raptor Count results
Date: Jan 28 21:06:31 1998
From: Raymond Korpi - rkorpi at clark.edu


On Wed, 28 Jan 1998, Michael Price wrote:
> >Swainson's Thrush 2 (she tells me they were definitely Swainson's, no red
> >tail and didn't bob tail; but as I don't know (xxxxxxx) very well, I'm not
> >sure how experienced she is)
>
> I'm not sure that doubting the credibility of someone's skills in public is
> the best of manners, Kyle; I'm sure there are more tactful ways to handle
> your reservations about the validity of someone's sightings.
>
While I would generally agree with what Michael notes here, there are
birds like Swainson's Thrush and House Wren whose occurrence in our
environs in the winter is suspect. Some caution should be taken.

Case in point from a couple Mays ago:
When 20 good to excellent Oregon birders can stand on the lawn at Malheur
with a Catharus thrush in plain sight for 20 minutes and still have
debates about its identity, there is a need for careful identification of
winter birds of the same genus.

RK
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Ray Korpi "Television doesn't allow much depth."
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rkorpi at clark.edu Don Imus, 11/6/97
Compiler, Portland, OR CBC, January 3, 1998
President, Oregon Field Ornithologists
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