ID-FRONTIERS for June 20-26, 2004

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Date   Time   NYS Mottled Petrel   Shaibal Mitra    Sun, 20 Jun 2004   9:36am   unsubscribe   sandro brina    Sun, 20 Jun 2004   10:58am   Re: Slaty-backed Gull ?   Martin Reid    Mon, 21 Jun 2004   8:05am   Fw: Requesting help with ID   Jeff Davis    Fri, 25 Jun 2004   8:23am   Re: Fw: Requesting help with ID   Graham Etherington    Fri, 25 Jun 2004   9:20am

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Subject: NYS Mottled Petrel
From: Shaibal Mitra <mitra(AT)mail.csi.cuny.edu>
Date: 20 Jun 2004 9:36am

The following information might be of interest regarding the Mt. Morris, New
York Mottled Petrel.

Beardslee and Mitchell (Birds of the Niagara Frontier Region, 1965) discuss this
 record on page 88.  The scenario they outline quotes earlier sources--including
 the inglorious manner in which it was ‘dispatched [sic] with a stick’ (Eaton’s
(1910) rendering of Brewster’s note quotes the archaically colorful variant
‘despatched’)—-but B + M’s account also deviates in another, potentially
important, way.  They state that “It [the specimen] was sent to William
Brewster”---thus obscuring the really fortuitous manner in which the bird became
 known to science.

This is noteworthy, because elsewhere in their book they give meticulous and
critical attention to taxidermic practice, going to great lengths to establish
the integrity (or lack thereof) in the chain of custody of important specimens. 
 For example, they provide detailed correspondence concerning a specimen of
White-faced Ibis, allegedly taken on Grand Island, but which was suspected by
Dr. C. C. Cummings of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences to have been
switched by an unscrupulous taxidermist (p. 187-188).  They also give a great
deal of attention to another mind-boggling specimen from their region---the
Slender-billed Curlew collected at Crescent Beach Ontario (p. 212).

Another significant point in B + M’s account of the petrel—--and one more
favorable to the authentic nature of the record---concerns the weather around
the time of the bird’s probable despatchment: “Wishing to know about the weather
 conditions at that time, Mitchell wrote  Mr. B. L. Wiggin, meteorologist in
charge of the Weather Bureau in Buffalo, who states (in litt.) ‘...there was an
intense storm during the first week of April, 1880.  High winds from the south
and southeastalong the Atlantic Coast verified gale warnings from Fort Macon to
Sandy Hook....This was during the period April 3-5, 1880.’”

Best,
Shai Mitra

________________________________________________________________
Sent via the WebMail system at mail.csi.cuny.edu


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Subject: unsubscribe
From: sandro brina <sandrobrina(AT)VIRGILIO.IT>
Date: 20 Jun 2004 10:58am

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Subject: Re: Slaty-backed Gull ?
From: Martin Reid <upupa(AT)AIRMAIL.NET>
Date: 21 Jun 2004 8:05am

Dear Samuel/all,
 From these photos I don't think it's a SBGU; the mantle looks too pale
compared to the HERGs.  Did you consider Vega Gull?  The primary pattern
looks good for Vega, yet the molt stage seems too early (but may not be as
late for 3/4CY birds?)
 From these pics it may not be possible to ID this interesting gull.
Cheers,
Martin

Martin Reid
Fort Worth, Texas
mailto:upupa(AT)airmail.net
http://www.martinreid.com


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Subject: Fw:      Requesting help with ID
From: Jeff Davis <jndavis(AT)NETPTC.NET>
Date: 25 Jun 2004 8:23am

----- Original Message -----
From: "David J Moriarty" <djmoriarty(AT)csupomona.edu>
To: <ORNITH-L(AT)LISTSERV.UARK.EDU>
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2004 7:36 AM
Subject: Requesting help with ID

> I'm requesting help with the ID of the bird pictured at the web page
linked
> below. It was netted by a colleague at the Mesilla Bosque (near Las
> Cruces), NM, on June 13. Size would be consistent with a juvenile Verdin
or
> warbler. FYI, total download for web page (html + pictures) is 190 Kb.
>
> The three pictures are at
http://www.csupomona.edu/~djmoriarty/www/mebo_id.htm
>
> Thank you for your help.
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> David J. Moriarty                        DJMoriarty(AT)CSUPomona.Edu
> Professor and Graduate Coordinator         Voice: (909) 869-4055
> Biological Sciences Department                  FAX: (909) 869-4078
> California State Polytechnic University
> Pomona, CA  91768-4032   http://www.csupomona.edu/~djmoriarty/
>   --------------------------------------------------------------
>


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Subject: Re: Fw: Requesting help with ID
From: Graham Etherington <etherington(AT)HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: 25 Jun 2004 9:20am

Jeff, David, and Birders,
From what I remember of them (although it's been a few years), this bird
looks pretty much llike a juvenile Verdin. The partial eye ring, orange-base
bill (esp. on the lower-mandible), and olive tones to the upperparts, all
look good for juv. Verdin. I've put some links to some photos I've found on
line.
A feature that I hadn't really noted until I looked at these photos was how
long, thick, and black their legs look.

http://www.southwestbirders.com/SS_20020817/verdin_003s.jpg
http://www.tucsonbirds.org/pix/birds.asp?c=f&s=3&f=2003_07/132_3295_r1

Good birding,
Graham Etherington
Norwich,
England

From: Jeff Davis <jndavis(AT)NETPTC.NET>
Reply-To: Jeff Davis <jndavis(AT)NETPTC.NET>
To: BIRDWG01(AT)LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [BIRDWG01] Fw:      Requesting help with ID
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 08:23:17 -0700

----- Original Message -----
From: "David J Moriarty" <djmoriarty(AT)csupomona.edu>
To: <ORNITH-L(AT)LISTSERV.UARK.EDU>
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2004 7:36 AM
Subject: Requesting help with ID

 > I'm requesting help with the ID of the bird pictured at the web page
linked
 > below. It was netted by a colleague at the Mesilla Bosque (near Las
 > Cruces), NM, on June 13. Size would be consistent with a juvenile Verdin
or
 > warbler. FYI, total download for web page (html + pictures) is 190 Kb.
 >
 > The three pictures are at
http://www.csupomona.edu/~djmoriarty/www/mebo_id.htm
 >
 > Thank you for your help.
 > --------------------------------------------------------------
 > David J. Moriarty                        DJMoriarty(AT)CSUPomona.Edu
 > Professor and Graduate Coordinator         Voice: (909) 869-4055
 > Biological Sciences Department                  FAX: (909) 869-4078
 > California State Polytechnic University
 > Pomona, CA  91768-4032   http://www.csupomona.edu/~djmoriarty/
 >   --------------------------------------------------------------
 >