[mou] which is more likely...

Wed Dec 19 09:21:40 CST 2007

I guess I'm flabbergasted where this response comes from.  Laura sent a
very detailed response that should have answered your question, and was
in no way critical of you nor did it in any way yell at you, and to be
honest, looking at the reported maps this season at moumn.org means very
little.  Anyone can post anything on moumn.org and the sightings are not
vetted to my knowledge.  There hasn't been a proven Gray Jay sighting in
the twin cities for as long as I can remember.  You need to chill out
Richard, as your constant tirades against people on this list server who
politely answer your questions is uncalled for and ridiculous.  I don't
believe Laura ever said anything about a DNA sample.  Cripes.  Even in
invasion years, such as last year, for Gray Jays, they are pretty much
never seen anywhere near as far south as the Twin Cities area.

I await getting ripped by you for defending someone this list server.
Maybe you'd be better off not posting on the MOU/MnBird list servers,
since you obviously can't handle anyone answering your questions without
going on a tirade because of your hypersensitive overly thin skin who
can't handle it.  If you don't want to learn, don't ask the question.  

Cheers,

Chris Fagyal

   Senior Software Engineer

   BAE Systems - Armament Systems

   Fridley, MN

   (763)572-5320

________________________________

From: mou-net-bounces at moumn.org [mailto:mou-net-bounces at moumn.org] On
Behalf Of Richard Wood
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 9:13 AM
To: mou-net at moumn.org; mnbird at lists.mnbird.net
Subject: Re: [mou] which is more likely...

Is there ANYTHING that one can do when they report something that will
guarantee that they won't get yelled at or criticized?

I know about Solitaires, I saw many of them in Utah.    I also know that
a few Gray Jays have been seen in the Twin Cities.  If one looks on the
reported maps of this season on moumn.org, Gray Jays have been reported
further south than have Solitaires.  Also, when one gets not much more
than a glancing look, it's not possible to ask a bird for a DNA sample.
Thus, a report that would be acceptable to the local BRC is not possible
(not that I would EVER submit a report to ANY BRC ever again, it's a
waste of time).

Now, if I had totally disregarded ranges, like years ago, when I tried
to turn a life House Sparrow into a Harris's Sparrow, I would have
gotten ripped apart.

Good grief.

Richard

Richard L. Wood, Ph. D.
Hastings, MN
rwoodphd at yahoo.com

----- Original Message ----
From: Laura Erickson <bluejay at lauraerickson.com>
To: mou-net at moumn.org; mnbird at lists.mnbird.net
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 9:54:36 AM
Subject: Re: [mou] which is more likely...

Townsend's Solitaires often eat fruit in winter, so if the tree was a
mountain ash or crab apple tree, the solitaire would be the more
likely.  Solitaires are thrushes, shaped like robins though they often
sit more vertically than robins usually do.  As far as I know, this is
not an invasion year for Gray Jays, making it highly unlikely that one
would appear as far south as Hastings.  Gray Jays are plump, their
fluffiness and proportions giving the sense of a chickadee on
steroids.

I'm not on the MOU Records Committee, but if I were, I would NEVER
accept a report of any rarity based on one species being "more likely"
than another based on expected range.  An acceptable documentation of
a rare bird requires noticing head and wing markings, overall shape,
posture, behavior, and what kind of habitat it's in.  Even for my
personal list, I've never felt comfortable counting anything based on
probabilities rather than carefully seeing the important field marks.
I'd want to actually see those cool wing markings on a solitaire
before counting it--otherwise it's just a name and number rather than
a lovely and memorable close encounter.  Of course, that may be part
of why my personal list isn't nearly as long as experts who take in
field marks much more quickly than I do.  ;-)

Laura Erickson
Duluth

On Dec 19, 2007 8:15 AM, Richard Wood <rwoodphd at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> On Sunday, December 9th, I saw a grayish bird with a short black bill
in a
> tree in our back yard.  This bird was robin sized, and when I went to
get my
> binocs on him, he flew.
>
> I have been leaning toward calling it either a Gray Jay or a
Townsend's
> Solitaire, though I'm not sure which would be more likely to be seen
here in
> Hastings.  I see from this year's sightings maps, that Townsend's
Solitaire
> has been seen farther north, so I am leaning town the Jay.  I know it
wasn't
> the Shrike I saw yesterday, as it lacked a mask (unless it was the
Lone
> Ranger off duty...).
>
> I'd like to know what everyone thinks.
>
> Good birding,
> Richard
>  Richard L. Wood, Ph. D.
> Hastings, MN
> rwoodphd at yahoo.com
>
>
>  ________________________________
> Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo!
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-- 
Laura Erickson
For the love, understanding, and protection of birds
www.lauraerickson.com

There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds.
There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of
nature--the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after
the winter.

            --Rachel Carson

________________________________

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