Nope -- I've seen lots of Magnolias, but had managed
to miss MacGillivray's since I arrived here. And yes,
this *is* the problem with the banding codes, and it is
wise to use them sparingly. I seldom use them myself,
although I did so in a private post the other day. My
point was not to advocate for the use of banding codes
in particular, but rather for the freedom to use our best
judgment in deciding how we want to communicate.

Jim McCoy
jfmccoy at earthlink.net
Redmond, WA



-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Dossett [mailto:phainopepla at yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2000 11:43 AM
To: jfmccoy at earthlink.net; Tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Four-letter abbreviations


--- Jim McCoy <jfmccoy at earthlink.net> wrote:

> P.s. -- I got my life MGWA on the walk to work
> yesterday morning, sans
> binoculars.


WOW!!!

A Magnolia Warbler!?!?! WHY ISN'T IT ON THE BIRDBOX
YET?!?

Actually, this was my first reaction...until I figured
out that by MGWA you meant MacGillivray's Warbler, my
mistake. But Magnolia's have hoods and incomplete
eye-rings (males) and even some yellow on the breast
too. I think everyone can see the problem with
abbreciations now.

Michael Dossett
Bothell
Phainopepla at yahoo.com

> It was up close, so I could easily see the hood and
> bright yellow breast,
> and I could even
> make out the incompleteness of the eye ring. (I
> threw in the ID details as
> context for
> those who were having trouble with the
> abbreviation.)
>
> P.p.s. -- Are the use of my initials, "P.s.",
> "P.p.s.", and "ID" acceptable?
>
>
> Jim McCoy
> jfmccoy at earthlink.net
> Redmond, WA
>
>
>

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