ID-FRONTIERS for February 20-29, 2000

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Date   Time   review of Enticott & Tipling's Seabird book   David James    Sun, 20 Feb 2000   4:05am   Burrough's Nature Clubs [Info. Sought]   Neil E. Taylor   Sun, 20 Feb 2000   2:21pm   Towhees   DJLauten and KACaste   Wed, 23 Feb 2000   4:47pm   "One small mystery solved...."   Don Roberson and/or    Wed, 23 Feb 2000   7:01pm   Bird Records Committee Forum Listserver (BRCF-L)   Phil Davis    Thu, 24 Feb 2000   12:03am   Re: "One small mystery solved...."   Steve Hampton    Thu, 24 Feb 2000   12:35pm   Slaty-backed Gull in Nebraska???   Joel Jorgensen    Thu, 24 Feb 2000   6:49pm   Re: Slaty-backed Gull in Nebraska???   Steve Hampton    Fri, 25 Feb 2000   11:18am   Re: Towhees   Steven Mlodinow    Fri, 25 Feb 2000   7:02pm   Pics of Nova Scotia Loon   Noel Wamer    Sat, 26 Feb 2000   11:12am   Re: Pics of Nova Scotia Loon   Jean Iron    Sat, 26 Feb 2000   12:21pm   Re: Pics of Nova Scotia Loon   Jean Iron    Sat, 26 Feb 2000   2:21pm   Mystery Loon   paullarkin    Sun, 27 Feb 2000   10:48am   Mystery diver   paullarkin    Sun, 27 Feb 2000   3:22pm   Re: Pics of Nova Scotia Loon   Nick Lethaby    Mon, 28 Feb 2000   9:41am   Russian Slaty-backed Gull references   Nick Lethaby    Mon, 28 Feb 2000   10:29am   Pics of Nova Scotia Loon   Dr. Michael M. Roger   Mon, 28 Feb 2000   11:02am   boreal/sawhet owls   riff    Mon, 28 Feb 2000   8:04pm   boreal/sawhet owls   riff    Mon, 28 Feb 2000   9:09pm   pecos   riff    Mon, 28 Feb 2000   9:22pm   mispost   riff    Tue, 29 Feb 2000   12:03am   VARIATION IN BILL-PATTERN OF ADULT BEWICKS SWAN CYGNUS COLOMBUS   Björn Sigurdsson    Tue, 29 Feb 2000   2:45am   Kent, UK Canvasback   paullarkin    Tue, 29 Feb 2000   1:24pm

To use email addresses replace '(AT)' with '@'. This is done to confuse the spam 'bots.

[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: review of Enticott & Tipling's Seabird book
From: David James <dave-james(AT)BEYOND.NET.AU>
Date: 20 Feb 2000 4:05am

greetings all,

I'm looking for reviews (particualrly in relation to field ID) of Enticott
& Tippling 1997 <Photographic Handbook of the Seabirds of the World>
published by New Holland. I understand that some comments were posted here
a few years back, and I'm hoping that someone might have saved them and
could forward them to me please?

thanks in anticipation,
David James
PO BOX 5225
Townsville Mail Centre,
Qld 4810, Australia
___________________________


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Subject: Burrough's Nature Clubs [Info. Sought]
From: "Neil E. Taylor" <tntcomm(AT)SENTEX.NET>
Date: 20 Feb 2000 2:21pm

I have discovered a clipping from the Berlin News Telegraph, Thursday,
June 12, 1913 that a  Burrough's Nature Club was duly organized.  Berlin
was  renamed Kitchener during W.W.I.  I seek information on Burrough's
Clubs in general, but particularly a source where I could trace the
history of the local club.  The Kitchener Waterloo Field Naturalists was
founded in 1934, but obviously had roots in the earlier club.
I look forward to any information sent privately or shared.
Neil E. Taylor
1016 Wilson Ave.,
Kitchener, Ontario   N2C 1J3 Canada
tntcomm(AT)sentex.net
http://www.sentex.net/~tntcomm/kwfn/index.htm  ---KWFN Web Page
http://sites.netscape.net/tntcomm/obba/OBBA.htm  ---ONTARIO BIRD BANDING
ASSOCIATION


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Subject: Towhees
From: DJLauten and KACastelein <birdsong(AT)HARBORSIDE.COM>
Date: 23 Feb 2000 4:47pm

Hello folks,

I am wondering if anyone has any info on the frequency of Spotted Towhees
lacking spots?  Is this something others see, regularly or not?  Could
birds in the west that lack spots be 1st winter males who may not develop
all the features of adult alternate plumage?

Dave Lauten
Bandon, OR
birdsong(AT)harborside.com


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Subject: "One small mystery solved...."
From: Don Roberson and/or Rita Carratello <creagrus(AT)MONTEREYBAY.COM>
Date: 23 Feb 2000 7:01pm

I have posted a small photo essay on the search for a specimen-backed summer
record of "Glaucous Gull" on the shores of Monterey Bay. It is part mystery
story, part gull i.d. lesson, and partly a lesson about the use of published
records. It is at
http://montereybay.com/creagrus/SCZgullmys.html

As always, comments are welcome. Its "one small mystery solved" and ~6,873 to
go...

Cheers, Don Roberson
Pacific Grove CA


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Subject: Bird Records Committee Forum Listserver (BRCF-L)
From: Phil Davis <PDavis(AT)IX.NETCOM.COM>
Date: 24 Feb 2000 12:03am

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Subject: Re: "One small mystery solved...."
From: Steve Hampton <SHAMPTON(AT)OSPR.DFG.CA.GOV>
Date: 24 Feb 2000 12:35pm

Nice story-- and great faded California Gull shot!  As for a late
Glaucous-winged Gull that could be confused as a Glaucous Gull, check out the
southern Calif bird we used for quiz gull #5 a while back:
http://www.west.net/~dj/quiz5.htm

Regarding misidentified specimens, I believe Andy Engilis (who will be replacing
 Ron Cole as curator at UC Davis) found California's first Ruby-throated
Hummingbird in a drawer there years ago, laying on its back with a tag that said
 "Broad-tailed Hummingbird".   Now that's some excellent "drawer birding!"

Steve Hampton, Ph.D.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resource Economist
Office of Spill Prevention and Response
California Dept of Fish and Game
PO Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
-----------------------------------
(916) 323-4724 phone
(916) 324-8829 fax


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Subject: Slaty-backed Gull in Nebraska???
From: Joel Jorgensen <zrtac(AT)GENESISNET.NET>
Date: 24 Feb 2000 6:49pm

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Hello

    I would like to ask for comments on an adult gull I observed at =
Harlan County Reservoir, Nebraska, that I believe could have been a =
Slaty-backed Gull.  Two so-so photos and a description are at

www.jorgensencontracting.com/sbgu.htm

    My observation was brief, and thus the photos/description do have =
some limitations.  Nonetheless, it is worth a look and thanks in advance =
for any and all comments.

Joel Jorgensen
Blair, Nebraska

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Subject: Re: Slaty-backed Gull in Nebraska???
From: Steve Hampton <SHAMPTON(AT)OSPR.DFG.CA.GOV>
Date: 25 Feb 2000 11:18am

Joel,
   Excellent find and congratulations!  The photos aren't the greatest, but the
description and analysis of other possibilities is compelling.  Not having seen
the bird, I'd still put my money on Slaty-backed.  I hope you can get more
photos.   It's really neat that your bird seems to have all the marks:  the
really dark mantle, the eye smudge, the hot pink legs, etc.
   Regarding your comments on Western Gull;  they tend to have small rounded
heads (they look pin-headed) and don't really show flat heads (except when
hunkered down in the wind).  A Western that dark would have to be wymani, which
is usually completely white headed in winter.  One distinction between
Slaty-backed and Gl-W x Western (and both can show the "string of pearls"-- see
photos at my gull website) is the nature of the head markings.  Slaty-backed has
 length-wise streaks (variably diffuse or defined); Gl-W has smudging (that
often forms fine horizontal bars on the breast, only visible at close range).
While your bird seems much too dark for Gl-W x Western, photos of the head and
neck markings should put that to rest.

good birding,

Steve Hampton, Ph.D.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resource Economist
Office of Spill Prevention and Response
California Dept of Fish and Game
PO Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
-----------------------------------
(916) 323-4724 phone
(916) 324-8829 fax

>>> Joel Jorgensen <zrtac(AT)GENESISNET.NET> 02/24/00 05:52PM >>>
Hello

    I would like to ask for comments on an adult gull I observed at Harlan
County Reservoir, Nebraska, that I believe could have been a Slaty-backed Gull. 
 Two so-so photos and a description are at

www.jorgensencontracting.com/sbgu.htm

    My observation was brief, and thus the photos/description do have some
limitations.  Nonetheless, it is worth a look and thanks in advance for any and
all comments.

Joel Jorgensen
Blair, Nebraska


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Subject: Re: Towhees
From: Steven Mlodinow <SGMlod(AT)AOL.COM>
Date: 25 Feb 2000 7:02pm

Greetings

I have been looking closely at Spotted Towhees in western Washington over the
last 6 plus months, trying to get a feel for variation within oregonus versus
the eastside curtatus. As many subscribers likely know, the oregonus
subspecies of Spotted Towhee breeds from southern coastal British Columbia
into northwestern California. It is the least spotted of the Spotted Towhees.
Of ~500 oregonus that I've looked closely at recently, a couple have
initially appeared to be spotless, only to have a couple small spots on the
wings (usually the covert edges) with a good look. I did have one bird that
was utterly spot-free with excellent views. Such birds are separated from
Eastern Towhee by the lack of a white "check" mark at the base of the folded
primaries, and lack of any white edging to the tertials.

Cheers
Steve Mlodinow


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Subject: Pics of Nova Scotia Loon
From: Noel Wamer <nwamer(AT)FCOL.COM>
Date: 26 Feb 2000 11:12am

Some folks might be interested in looking at some very good pictures of a
loon currently being seen in Nova Scotia whose identity has been debated on
the local mail list.  Looks like a first basic Pacific to me, with a
distinct chin strap, but it also has a prominent white flank patch.

There are three pictures at:
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Falls/6185/swns14.htm

Later...

Noel Wamer
nwamer(AT)fcol.com http://www.badbirdz.com
Jacksonville, FL, US   30.2820 -81.4972
"A strange bird may cause a slight unrest until it is named..."
                                                       (Walker Percy)


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Subject: Re: Pics of Nova Scotia Loon
From: Jean Iron <jeaniron(AT)GLOBEDIRECT.COM>
Date: 26 Feb 2000 12:21pm

The bird is a Red-throated Loon as indicated by the distinct white marks on
the upperparts.

Ron Pittaway

At 01:03 PM 2/26/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>Some folks might be interested in looking at some very good pictures of a
>loon currently being seen in Nova Scotia whose identity has been debated on
>the local mail list.  Looks like a first basic Pacific to me, with a
>distinct chin strap, but it also has a prominent white flank patch.
>
>There are three pictures at:
>http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Falls/6185/swns14.htm
>
>Later...
>
>Noel Wamer
>nwamer(AT)fcol.com http://www.badbirdz.com
>Jacksonville, FL, US   30.2820 -81.4972
>"A strange bird may cause a slight unrest until it is named..."
>                                                        (Walker Percy)

Jean Iron
9 Lichen Place
Toronto ON  M3A 1X3
416-445-9297
jeaniron(AT)globedirect.com


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Subject: Re: Pics of Nova Scotia Loon
From: Jean Iron <jeaniron(AT)GLOBEDIRECT.COM>
Date: 26 Feb 2000 2:21pm

Ron Pittaway on Jean's PC. Some further thoughts on the Nova Scotia mystery
loon. I did an article, illustrated by Michael King, on "Small Winter Loon
ID" in the October 1998 issue of OFO News 16(3):6-8. I wrote the article
because we had several juvenal and first basic Red-throated Loons that were
called Pacifics. The Nova Scotia bird is one of those confusing
individuals, but the "diagnostic white back markings" are never found on
Pacifics or Arctics. The chin strap is also in the wrong location. This
bird appears to be in its first prebasic molt showing much retained juvenal
body plumage. Some young Red throated Loons don't have adult bill shape and
don't carry themselves in the typical uptilted fashion. Red-throated Loons
also sometimes show a noticeable white flank patch, hence the suggestion of
an Arctic.

If you'd like a copy of my loon article, please e-mail your full postal
address.

Warm regards,

Ron

At 01:03 PM 2/26/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>Some folks might be interested in looking at some very good pictures of a
>loon currently being seen in Nova Scotia whose identity has been debated on
>the local mail list.  Looks like a first basic Pacific to me, with a
>distinct chin strap, but it also has a prominent white flank patch.
>
>There are three pictures at:
>http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Falls/6185/swns14.htm
>
>Later...
>
>Noel Wamer
>nwamer(AT)fcol.com http://www.badbirdz.com
>Jacksonville, FL, US   30.2820 -81.4972
>"A strange bird may cause a slight unrest until it is named..."
>                                                        (Walker Percy)

Jean Iron
President, Ontario Field Ornithologists
9 Lichen Place
Toronto, Ontario M3A 1X3
Canada
Phone: 416-445-9297
jeaniron(AT)globedirect.com
Web Page: www.interlog.com/~ofo


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Subject: Mystery Loon
From: paullarkin <paullarkin(AT)PGEN.NET>
Date: 27 Feb 2000 10:48am

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What Ho Chaps!

In my opinion the bird is a Red-throated Loon (Diver). The flank patch =
can be deceptive. Often preening can make this prominent on RTLs =
particularly on oiled birds. They often seen to get oiled on the belly =
and preen away from this pushing the feathers out to the side. Also =
beware of birds floating with a slight list to one side. 1st winter =
birds seem to be darker than adults as well thus increasing the =
confusion with BTL. They often have a dusky neck that when compressed =
could look like a collar. Forget the upturned bill etc. I find the best =
field marks are (for 1st year birds) the markings on the back. In RTL =
these are small dashes down each edge of the feathers at a distance they =
look like lines. In BTL  these are less contrasty and complete. At a =
distance they appear as pale crescents similar to those of 1st year =
Common Loon ,also the dark area on the face usually goes up round the =
eye. In BTL it usually surrounds the eye forming a pale eye ring.

On another subject. There has been an adult drake Canvasback in Kent in =
the UK recently. I have not seen it but I am told by several observers =
that the flank has a similar pattern to that of Ring-necked Duck i.e, a =
paler "horn" at the front. I must emphasise that it is nowhere as =
contrasty  that of RND but is fairly obvious in good light. Is this =
normal for adult drake Canvasback or does it suggest some form of =
hybridity?
cheers
Paul

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Subject: Mystery diver
From: paullarkin <paullarkin(AT)PGEN.NET>
Date: 27 Feb 2000 3:22pm

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What Ho chaps!
Sorry to clutter the system up but I forgot to add that an excellent =
article on the identification of divers (Loons) in immature and winter =
plumages was published in British Birds Vol 79 August 1986 pp365-391. It =
does not cover Pacific but does cover Black-throated, White-billed and =
Great Northern (Common Loon) including flifgt identification back =
numbers are available from BB at=20
Fountains,
Parl Lane,
Blunham,
Bedford,
MK44 3NJ
UK
e-mail editor(AT)britishbirds.co.uk
Cheers
Paul

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Subject: Re: Pics of Nova Scotia Loon
From: Nick Lethaby <nickl(AT)COWARE.COM>
Date: 28 Feb 2000 9:41am

At 01:03 PM 2/26/00 -0500, Noel Wamer wrote:
>Some folks might be interested in looking at some very good pictures of a
>loon currently being seen in Nova Scotia whose identity has been debated on
>the local mail list.  Looks like a first basic Pacific to me, with a
>distinct chin strap, but it also has a prominent white flank patch.

The spotting on the upperparts is surely indicative of a Red-throated Loon.
The bill also looks reasonable for a Red-throated Loon too.

Nick Lethaby
Technical Marketing Manager
CoWare, Inc.
Tel: 408 845 7646
E-mail: nickl(AT)coware.com


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Russian Slaty-backed Gull references
From: Nick Lethaby <nickl(AT)COWARE.COM>
Date: 28 Feb 2000 10:29am

All:

Hal Opperman has been kind enough to provide me with a couple of papers for
an article I am preparing on Slaty-backed Gulls. Unfortuntately one of them
is completely in Russian with no English summary. Since this is apparently
the original reference that discusses hybridization between Slaty-backed
and Vega Gulls, it is highly desirable to get this translated. Do any of
you have the ability to translate Russian or know someone who could? I
don't necessarily need a word for word translation - just a summary of the
important points, plus any valid supporting data quoted. The reference is
about 4 pages of text.

Thanks,

Nick

Nick Lethaby
Technical Marketing Manager
CoWare, Inc.
Tel: 408 845 7646
E-mail: nickl(AT)coware.com


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Subject: Pics of Nova Scotia Loon
From: "Dr. Michael M. Rogers" <mrogers(AT)NAS.NASA.GOV>
Date: 28 Feb 2000 11:02am

Hmmm... given the pattern of spots on the back, the birds
overall shape, and thin bill this looks like a RED-THROATED
LOON to me.

Mike Rogers
Sunnyvale, CA


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: boreal/sawhet owls
From: riff <ruff(AT)CYBERMESA.COM>
Date: 28 Feb 2000 8:04pm

Greetings,
 last night Jim Nelson Moore,Steve Noseworthy and I undertook what turned
out to be a very succesful owl trip.At the top of the pecos canyon,in
cowles we  heard,in response to a sawhet recording a [presumed] somewhat
disinterested sawhet shortly after dusk.Whilst pursuing this bird we
heard,to our amazement a boreal owl.I quickly racked up a boreal recording
and received one answer then silence.Despite searching the area over the
next hour we heard no more owls here.For those interested hang a left in
cowles by the pond and drive tocowles capground where there is a forest
service gate across the road.Continue on foot perhaps a third of a mile to
where a small wooden bridge allows one to cross toward an empty
cabin[opposite a 15mph sign]Up the slope100ft to the left of the cabin is
the spot,in dense spruce forrest away from the river noise.
  At about 9.30pm we were further rewarded for our efforts with an
incredible sawhet show about1.25 miles up the dalton canyon road,where at
least two birds buzzed us and called incessantly .For ten minutes or more
we had one in the flashlight beam while jim took photos!Awesome!
  bird till you drop,sam brayshaw


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: boreal/sawhet owls
From: riff <ruff(AT)CYBERMESA.COM>
Date: 28 Feb 2000 9:09pm

Greetings,
 sunday night,Jim Nelson Moore,Steve Noseworthy and I owled in the pecos
canyon from cowles at dusk back toward pecos nm.Shortly after dusk,about
1/4 mile beyond aforest service gate in the road at cowles campground[hang
a left at cowles pond]we were homing in on what we presumed to be a
disinterested sawhet[occasional piping notes] where a bridge accesses a
summer cabin across from a15mph sign,we heard what had to be a boreal owl.I
quickly racked up a boreal recording and received an answering call.Despite
searcing the area for another hour or so we heard no more owls here.
 Further down,about 1.25 miles up the dalton canyon road,we had quite a
sawhet owl show in response to a pygmy owl recording.For 15 minutes or more
we had one of two birds in the flashlight beam and jim got several
photos!Awesome!
 bird till you drop,sam brayshaw


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Subject: pecos
From: riff <ruff(AT)CYBERMESA.COM>
Date: 28 Feb 2000 9:22pm

Apologies for not making the location clear,also for posting twice if I
did.Pecos is 25 minutes north of santa fe on I25.Cowles is about 20 miles
upriver,a left turn in pecos.
  thanks,sam brayshaw


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Subject: mispost
From: riff <ruff(AT)CYBERMESA.COM>
Date: 29 Feb 2000 12:03am

Many apoligies for misposting owlnotes that I had meant for the az/nm
listserve.
 sorry,sam brayshaw


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Subject: VARIATION IN BILL-PATTERN OF ADULT BEWICKS SWAN
         CYGNUS COLOMBUS
From: Björn Sigurdsson <mr_birdmigration(AT)USA.NET>
Date: 29 Feb 2000 2:45am

Hi, I mailed this mail to a mailing-list in Europe for some days ago
but I did'nt get any answers at all, so I try this líst...

The observation are from Sweden.

VARIATION IN BILL-PATTERN OF ADULT BEWICKS SWAN CYGNUS COLOMBUS

The 27 of January, I notice an ad Whooper swan, showing a whitish rectangle on
the lower part of the upper mandible – in the black area. I’ve seen a few
birds with a bill-pattern like this before, and I guess that they are quit
common??

Fore some days ago, the 25 of February I recorded the first Bewicks swans for
the season, two adult birds.
One of the birds had a typically bill, but the other one showed a somewhat
larger bill, especially the base seemed “higher”, with more yellow one – the
black area did not cover the upper part of the upper mandible, it just
reached
the nostrils. Further the yellow colour of this bird’s bill was lighter than
the other birds yellow colour, lacking the orange tone (and It was lighter
than the yellow colour of bills of whooper swans at the same field). The bird
also showed a whitish patch on the middle of the upper mandible. Like the one
I described for the whooper swan. The legs was normaly coloured.

So here I stand with a record of a Bewicks with as I see it a strange bill,
it
also showed a slightly larger body and thicker neck compared with the other
bird = a male?

Personally I’ve never observed a bird like this before, but on the other hand
you don’t see so many Cygnus-swans on Öland, especially not bewicks

Do anyone now how common birds like this are?, and if they are Are there any
theories/facts about them?
I appreciate all information!

I did a small literature research but couldn’t find any information.

Sincerly
Björn Sigurdsson, Öland
The southeast cost of Sweden
BJORNSIGURDSSON(AT)USA.NET

____________________________________________________________________
Get free email and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1


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Subject: Kent, UK Canvasback
From: paullarkin <paullarkin(AT)PGEN.NET>
Date: 29 Feb 2000 1:24pm

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What Ho Chaps!

I have now seen a photograph of this bird. It appears to be a typical =
adult drake Canvasback in form, structure and plumage except for one or =
two, what appear to be, white vertical wedges on the fore of the pale =
grey flank panel. The description given to me of "horn" similar to =
Ring-necked Duck is rather far fetched. The flank panel is not uniform =
however. Any further thoughts on this?

cheers
Paul=20

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