[mou] Request for Documentation of Rarities

[psvingen@d.umn.edu]

The spring season has ended, and this would be a good time to remind observe=
rs of=20
winter and spring reports of unusual species which still need to be document=
ed.=20
Many of these were posted on the mou-net listserve. While birders are certai=
nly=20
free to include anything they wish on their personal and unpublished lists,=
=20
sightings of Accidental, Casual and rare-Regular species can only be publish=
ed by=20
the MOU and included in its archives of bird records when accompanied by=20
documentation.

If you were an observer of any of the reports listed below and are intereste=
d in=20
providing documentation, the MOU would appreciate your assistance. Note the =
many=20
undocumented reports of Gyrfalcon, a species that is currently considered Ca=
sual=20
in Minnesota. Also, documentation is requested for any occurrence of an=20
Accidental, Casual or rare-Regular species not listed below, or for any spec=
ies in=20
an unusual location or at an unexpected date. Please contact me if you have=
=20
questions about whether or not details are needed.=20

Eurasian Wigeon=093/28=9631 =09Winona (Prairie Island Rd)
Gyrfalcon =091/19=09Duluth (airport)
Gyrfalcon =092/4 =09Duluth (High Bridge)
Gyrfalcon =092/5 =09Lake of the Woods (CR 1)
Gyrfalcon =09mid-Feb =09Pennington (near Thief River Falls)
Gyrfalcon =093/5 =09St. Louis (CR 85, 0.7 mi W of MN 73)
Gyrfalcon=093/7=09Kandiyohi
Gyrfalcon =093/21 =09St. Louis (Virginia)
California Gull =093/30 =09Dakota (Inver Grove Heights)
Lesser Black-backed Gull =094/16 =09Kanabec (Mora, 3rd-year)
Lesser Black-backed Gull=095/7=09Mille Lacs (Mille Lacs L., 2nd-year)
Lesser Black-backed Gull=095/14 Kanabec (Mora, two 3rd-year birds)
Great Black-backed Gull=095/21 Duluth
Black-legged Kittiwake=095/7 Crow Wing (Garrison)
Clark's Nutcracker=091/15=09St. Louis (McQuade Rd)
Yellow-throated Warbler=095/15=09Morrison (Little Falls)
Yellow-throated Warbler=095/22=09Dakota (155th St, between Angus and Barbara=
)
Summer Tanager =095/8 =09Goodhue (Hok-si-la Park)
Summer Tanager 5/11 or 5/12=09Nicollet (St. Peter)
Summer Tanager=095/16=09Freeborn (St. Francis)
Summer Tanager=095/20=09Anoka (Linwood L.)
Western Tanager=09several days thru 5/2=09Washington
Western Tanager=095/13=09Rock
Western Tanager=095/13=09Olmsted (Oronoco)
Western Tanager=095/17=09Freeborn (Albert Lea)
Spotted Towhee=095/8=09Renville (Olivia)
Smith's Longspur =095/7 =09Kandiyohi (near Lake Lillian)
Black-headed Grosbeak=095/29=09Marshall (SE of Newfolden)
Great-tailed Grackle =093/28 =09Lyon (Sham L.)
Great-tailed Grackle =094/16 =09Jackson (7 at Sandy Point C.P.)
Great-tailed Grackle=094/16+ Rock (5 at Hills W.T.P.)

Documentation is also still needed for the following reports from Fall 2004:

Ross's Goose=099/8/04=09Koochiching County
Tricolored Heron=098/17/04=09Whitewater WMA, Winona County
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron=099/11/04=09Red Rock Road, Ramsey County
Plegadis ibis (10)=098/28/04=09CR 13, 1.0 mi S of MN 40, Lac Qui Parle Count=
y
Plegadis ibis (3)=099/25/04=09Toqua Twp., Big Stone County
Plegadis ibis (6)=099/26/04=09Malta Twp., Big Stone County
Ferruginous Hawk=0910/9/04=09Sandpiper Prairie SNA, Norman County
Gyrfalcon (gray morph)=0910/3/04=09Hawk Ridge, Duluth
Gyrfalcon (gray morph)=0910/4/04=09Knife River, Lake County
Gyrfalcon=09late Nov 2004=09Brooklyn Park, Hennepin County
Little Gull (adult)=099/19=09(L. Winnibigoshish)
Lesser Black-backed Gull 9/5 Anoka (Centerville L.)
Sabine=92s Gull (juv)=099/19=09(L. Winnibigoshish)
Sabine=92s Gull (juv)=0910/8/04=09L. Bemidji, Beltrami County
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 10/9/04=09CR 5, St. Louis County

There are 3 ways to provide documentation:

1) By e-mail or regular U.S. mail, please send as complete a description as=
=20
possible of the bird, any field notes or photographs which were taken, a=20
comparison of this bird with similar species, your experience with this and=
=20
similar species, whether or not you knew it was unusual, if and when field g=
uides=20
were used or needed to identify the bird, the light conditions, distance inv=
olved,=20
how long the bird was seen, and the optics used.

Or (2) by e-mail or regular mail, send me your mailing address, and I will s=
end=20
you an MOU documentation form which outlines the requested information for y=
ou to=20
fill in.

Or (3) you can download this form from the MOU's website, <mou.mn.org>.

Again, seeing a rare bird and adding it to your personal list is certainly=
=20
enjoyable in its own right, but when your sighting is also documented and se=
nt in=20
to the MOU it also serves as an important contribution to our knowledge of=
=20
Minnesota bird distribution. If you have any questions, please don't hesitat=
e to=20
contact me. On behalf of the MOU, thanks in advance for your help and your=
=20
contribution to Minnesota ornithology!

--
Peder H. Svingen
Chairman, MOU Records Committee
2602 E. 4th Street
Duluth, MN 55812
<psvingen@d.umn.edu>