>From: Sebnabgill at aol.com
>Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 01:31:18 EDT
>Subject: Re: Value of field reports.
>To: dpaulson at ups.edu
>CC: SGMlod at aol.com, TRWahl at aol.com
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Status:
>
>Dennis, please post this on Tweeters for me, thanks, Bill Tweit
>
>As an additional perspective on the value of accuracy in field observations
>by birders, I'd like folks to take a look at the following. It is one of
>many illustrations of the biological importance of accuracy of field
>observations from birders. Without the database of observations reported for
>American Birds, the following account of Buff-breasted Sandpiper occurence in
>Washington would be almost devoid of information. My summaries of the degree
>of annual variation, the peak years, and the decline in the 1990s are all
>derived from birders reports. And, they represent important information.
>The recent decline might be an indicator of a population decline or a change
>in migration. The occasional peak years might provide insight into weather
>patterns that favor vagrancy in long distance shorebird migrants, which might
>yield more insight into the fundamentals of shorebird migration. But, none
>of these patterns would be evident if birders were not accurate. The
>patterns emerge only because birders did not report Buff-breasts when none
>were actually present. I know this seems simple and self-evident, but it
>runs against the grain of finding rarities every time one goes birding. It
>is the patterns created by absence some times and presence other times, or
>low numbers sometimes and high numbers other times that form the basis for
>scientific insight. And it is scrupulous, self-criticizing accuracy in the
>field that keeps our observations unbiased. Read my draft account of
>Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Washington, and if you have been one of the
>birders who has accurately contributed to this account, take some pride in
>it. And, if you have improvements to suggest, contact me at
>sebnabgill at aol.com. Thanks, Bill Tweit
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------

>Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis
>
>Rare fall migrant on the outer coast, very rare elsewhere.
>
>Bar Graph
>Westside: dots for 31 May, 30 July, dashed line from 15-20 August, thin line
>from 20 August to 15 September, dashed line from 15 September to 27 September
>Eastside: dots for 7 and 18 September
>
>Habitat
>Lake edges, mudflats, estuaries.
>
>Status in Washington
>This long distance migrant has been recognized as a rare fall migrant in
>coastal Washington since the early part of the century; the first record was
>collected by Lien in 1917. However, there were only 13 records prior to the
>1970s, when regular fall coverage of the outer coast began. Since then, the
>species has been recorded almost annually in fall on the outer coast, in
>numbers that show strong annual variation (none to 38), possibly related to
>strong annual fluctuations on the breeding grounds (Lanctot and Laredo 1994).
> Peak years include 1978 (20), 1979 (38), 1985 (10) and 1993 (12). Numbers
>appear to be declining recently; there were about two/thirds the reports in
>the 1990s (41) than the previous two decades (about 65 per decade).
>
>The vast majority of the 185 records through 1999 are from the outer coast
>(90%), with another 6% from shoreline areas near Puget Sound. Only 4% are
>from inland areas, including at least three from the well-watched Reardan
>ponds in eastern Washington. Based on specimens and photographs, all fall
>records appear to be of immature birds (Paulson 1993).
>
>Notable Records:
>Coastal: Spring record 31 May 1984 at Leadbetter Point. Fall early date: 30
>July 1984 at Ocean Shores. Fall high counts: 11 on 27 August 1978 at Ocean
>Shores and 20 on 5 September 1979 at Leadbetter Point. Fall late date: 27
>September 1980 at Ocean Shores.
>Inland in western Washington: 15 September 1991 at Lyman, Skagit
>Eastern Washington: fall 1962 in "eastern Washington"; 7 September 1968 at
>Reardan; fall 1987 at Reardan; 18 September 1988 at Reardan
>
>Lanctot, R.B. and C.D. Laredo. 1994. Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites
>subruficollis). In The Birds of North America, No. 91 (A. Poole and F. Gill,
>Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The
>American Ornithologists Union.
>
>Paulson, D.R. 1993. Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest.


Dennis Paulson, Director phone 253-879-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 253-879-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416
http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/museum.html