[mou] Our experts

[Jeanie Joppru]

Well said by both of you. I know I have had records rejected myself that
I was sure of. I have found that a good way to learn is to do it - fill
out the form even if you don't send them in at first. Also I made myself
an unofficial form to fill out in the field with all the areas of the
bird listed, details about time,light, location, and habitat, and room
to put in the details. It makes you think of what to look for and
include in the field notes - just on a piece of 8x11 paper.You can make
it any size you want. I don't pretend that it made me a great observer ,
but I'm slowly improving.
Jeanie
Pennington County
 

-----Original Message-----
From: mou-net-bounces at moumn.org [mailto:mou-net-bounces at moumn.org] On
Behalf Of Mike Hendrickson
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 6:54 PM
To: Tom Bell; MOU Net
Subject: Re: [mou] Our experts


Since birding is rather dull here in northeastern Minnesota I have time
to respond this thread on this listserv.
 
If anyone wants to know how to write up a good documentation report, all
you need to do is go to the MOU website and click on MOURC documentation
and review some documentation that have been submitted by Minnesota
birders this year or last year.  This should give you a pretty good idea
how to submit a record to MOURC.
 
Also I think, most of the MOURC members had records rejected one time or
anther.  Hopefully this will make some birders feel better or more
comfortable about submitting records to MOURC. Even I had two records
that got rejected (Long-tailed Jaeger and Pomarine Jaeger).  So yes,
even the "High Priests" get records rejected from time to time.  Happens
to us all!
 
But we should thank the MOURC committee because without them we wouldn't
have the official Minnesota Checklist, we wouldn't have an accurate
historical records of birds that occurred in Minnesota and we wouldn't
have a range maps of Minnesota birds, county records, late date records,
early date records or in other words we birders wouldn't have clear
picture of birds in Minnesota.
 
When I got started in birds in the 3rd grade, all the bird books talk
about having a notebook & pencil to take notes of birds in the field.
Well you might have to toss those notions away and tell young birders
they should buy a digital camera instead.  I still prefer sketching
birds and documenting birds the "old fashion" way but it's a lot easier
to just take a digital these days. I think birders who are new to the
hobby well get a better understanding of how to take notes buy not using
the digital camera at first and try to take field notes instead.  I just
believe this habit of taking notes in the field will make you a better
birder or the start of becoming a "high priest or priestess" in the
birding community. LOL
 
I am also getting tired of seeing people on this listserv making weird
comments about our local birding experts!!  I also do not understand why
people feel they are so scared/intimidated in sharing their sightings on
this listserv or any listserv.  If some one questions you its not
because we think you are lying or we are picking on you its because we
want you to think of other possibilities.   For example a young Killdeer
running around from a distance looks a lot like a Snowy Plover.  
 
Also Tom Bell is right when he said, "If your record is rejected look at
it as a learning experience. The committee does not say that you did not
see the bird they are just saying that more or better documentation is
necessary to enter into the states records".  Minnesota has a pretty
nice records committee compared to some other states records committees
where you have to have a digital photograph or a video for them to even
consider voting on your record.
 
Good birding and hoping this fall migration is full or exciting birds.
By the way I have plenty of room on the Lake Superior Birding Trips.  If
you want a chance to bird on Lake Superior and look for Red-throated
Loons, Pacific loons, Parasitic Jaegers, Pomarine Jaegers, Long-tailed
Jaegers, Arctic Terns, Sabine's Gulls or Little Gulls, please visit my
website to learn more about it.
 
Thanks
 
Michael Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
Lake Superior Boat Trips
http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Tom  <mailto:tnejbell at comcast.net> Bell 
To: MOU Net <mailto:mou-net at cbs.umn.edu>  
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 10:37 AM
Subject: [mou] Our experts

    The committee in Minnesota that is responsible for deciding what the
status of a particular species should be for our state is the Minnesota
Ornithologists Union Records Committee (MOURC). I know the members of
this committee and have been with most on birding events and they are
all much better birders than I am and I am glad they make the decisions.
This committee over the years has made us better birders for by
necessity they have to be fussy about the documentation supplied. One
should never feel intimidated about submitting a record of a bird one
feels is unusual for time and place. If your record is rejected look at
it as a learning experience. The committee does not say that you did not
see the bird they are just saying that more or better documentation is
necessary to enter into the states records. It is a good experience just
to complete the documentation information to learn what is called for. 
 
Tom Bell
on Grey Cloud Island
5868 Pioneer Road South
Saint Paul Park MN 55071-1143
651 459-4150

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