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9 May Re: Rockefeller NWR , 5/6/08 [Peter H Yaukey ] 9 May Couturie Forest article in Birder's World Magazine -- online version [Joelle Finley ] 8 May Re: Countability of Canada Goose & summer Mallards [Justin Eby-Bosler ] 8 May Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List [Tommy Walker ] 8 May Re: Recent raven sighting in LA ["Purrington, Robert D" ] 8 May Re: Countability and Subspecies ID ["Purrington, Robert D" ] 8 May Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List ["Purrington, Robert D" ] 8 May Atchafalaya Basin IBA Recognition Ceremony, May 10th ["DRISCOLL, Melanie" ] 8 May Re: Recent raven sighting in LA [Buford Myers ] 8 May Re: Recent raven sighting in LA [JDillon ] 8 May Recent raven sighting in LA ["Ingold, James" ] 8 May Single friendly Canada Goose [Miriam Davey ] 8 May Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List [Paul Conover ] 7 May Re: Rig birds 7-May-08 [Devin Eby-Bosler ] 7 May Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List [David Muth ] 7 May Re: Possible Fork-Tailed FC ["James W. Beck" ] 08 May Rig birds 7-May-08 [] 8 May Rig birds 7-May-08 [Troy Reitan/Denise Duvic ] 7 May Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List [Paul Conover ] 7 May Rockefeller NWR , 5/6/08 [Jacob Saucier ] 7 May Recent CENLA Birds [Huner Jay V ] 7 May Re: Herring Gull splits ["Woltmann, Stefan" ] 7 May Possible Fork-Tailed FC [Josh Engelbert ] 7 May Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List [David Muth ] 7 May Re: Herring Gull splits [Buford Myers ] 7 May Re: LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record [David Muth ] 7 May Re: Big Day Question -- what IS the record? ["Steven W. Cardiff" ] 7 May western kingbirds and other stuff [Gary Broussard ] 7 May Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List [Bruce Baird ] 7 May NEXRAD observed bird migration, 5-7-08 [John Arvin ] 7 May Re: LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record ["Steven W. Cardiff" ] 7 May Re: Herring Gull splits ["Steven W. Cardiff" ] 7 May Countability and Subspecies ID ["Woltmann, Stefan" ] 7 May Re: Big Day misses ["Brian O'Shea" ] 7 May Re: Countability of Canada Goose & summer Mallards ["Steven W. Cardiff" ] 7 May Re: LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record [Peter H Yaukey ] 7 May Also This Saturday--IBA Dedication at Sherburne! [] 7 May Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List [David Muth ] 7 May Recent CENLA Birds [Huner Jay V ] 7 May Mallard/Canada Goose - Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List [Huner Jay V ] 7 May Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List [Richard Gibbons ] 6 May Re: LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record [David Muth ] 6 May Corrections to LSU Big Day Post [Richard Gibbons ] 6 May LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record [Richard Gibbons ] 07 May 5-6-08 Rig birds [] 7 May 5-6-08 Rig birds [Troy Reitan/Denise Duvic ] 6 May Re: LOS mystery booby=Red-footed Booby [Jennifer Holmes ] 6 May Permits - Clarification about Neotropical Songbird Tour [Huner Jay V ] 6 May FW: eBird Report - Rip Van Winkle Gardens Rookery , 5/3/08 [Mike Constant ] 6 May Re: red-breasted nuthatch - Garden District, B. R. May 5, 2008 ["Purrington, Robert D" ] 6 May Trees are for the birds ["J. S. SLACK III" ] 6 May Re: Clarification about Neotropical Songbird Tour ["Steven W. Cardiff" ] Subject: Re: Rockefeller NWR , 5/6/08 From: Peter H Yaukey <PYaukey AT UNO.EDU> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 10:32:55 -0500 Birders: Give the lack of conventional fallout factors in the weather yesterday or today, I was surprised to find a busy assortment of passage migrants in the tiny UNO Fine Arts woodlot this morning: Pewee Great Crested Red-eyed Vireo Black and White Warb- 2 females Magnolia Warb- 3 males, 1 female Bay-breasted Warb- 1 female Chestnut-sided Warb - 1 female Am Redstart - 2 females Scarlet Tanager- male Summer Tanager- SY male No pecans or mulberries there to act as magnets either. Peter Yaukey Subject: Couturie Forest article in Birder's World Magazine -- online version From: Joelle Finley <joelle_finley AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 09:35:47 -0500 Hi LABIRD, Dan Purrington's article on Couturie Forest in New Orleans City Park is available online. Thank you Dan and thanks to Wendy Rihner for alerting Birder's World to our local birding hotspot. Things are looking good for the preservation of the woods. City Park has hired a landscape architect firm and a master plan will be developed. Currently City Park is planting trees and we are urging them to plant bird friendly native species. Thanks to all of you who wrote letters in support of keeping the forest wild and not turning it into a golf green. http://www.birdersworld.com/brd/default.aspx?c=a&id=1109 . Joelle Finley New Orleans Subject: Re: Countability of Canada Goose & summer Mallards From: Justin Eby-Bosler <jebybo1 AT LSU.EDU> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 22:54:57 -0500 Labird, Devin and I provided an annotated checklist of our April Big Day to clear up any confusion in regard to the countability of certain species. We were fortunate to locate a lingering pair of wild Mallards departing a flooded field off Fruge Road between Pine Pasture and Chalkley Roads near Sweet Lake. Later on, we encountered at least 2 pairs of feral Mallards in the borrow pits along LA-82 in Johnson Bayou. Although they exhibited relatively normal structure and plumage traits, it is fairly obvious that they originated from local escapes; and therefore, would not be countable. As Steve mentioned, the situation with Canada Goose in LA is complicated. It would be an extremely difficult move to re-designate Canada Goose from a historically wild-occurring status to "Introduced", especially considering the potential for truly wild Canadas to stray into LA during the fall and winter. What complicates matters further is the sizeable, established introduced population of ! Rockefeller Canada Geese. These Canada Geese breed from Rockefeller Refuge to Sabine NWR, encompassing a majority of the freshwater marshes in Cameron Parish. In my opinion, this population appears more "wild" in nature than other introduced feral populations across the state which are restricted to specific refugia (e.g. community parks, golf courses, residential developments, etc.). Does this justify their countability on a LA Big Day? No, not really. So, I guess it's more a matter of personal preference in counting individuals of this particular population. Good birding, Justin Bosler Baton Rouge, LA > Labird- > Canada Goose status has been discussed a number of times on this forum > over the past few years. It's a rather complicated and unique situation > because wild Canadas occurred here historically and are legitimately on the > state list, but have pretty much disappeared as a wild-occurring species. > Meanwhile, Canada Geese have subsequently been deliberately introduced here, > resident feral populations seem to be holding on or even flourishing in some > areas, and there's apparently some evidence to suggest that feral birds can > disperse fairly long distances within their introduced range in the > southeastern US. More recently, the larger Canada Goose was taxonomically > split from the smaller Cackling Goose, further confusing past and present > status of the two forms. > Again, there is little or no evidence to indicate that wild Canada Geese > still occur in Louisiana. So, the assumption is that we are only seeing > birds derived from introduced/feral sources. It seems doubtful that there > is any gene flow occurring between our feral Canadas and potentially wild > Canadas, e.g., there's no evidence that our "resident" feral birds are > moving north to within the range of wild Canadas, or that wild Canadas are > making it south to LA and mixing with feral birds. In my opinion, feral > Canadas cannot survive without protected "refugia" such as Rockefeller > Refuge, parks, golf courses, and industrial installations with lawns and > ponds. In other words, the species does not seem to be expanding into and > permanently occupying wild habitat. This seems to be the situation in > Cameron Parish, where the introduced Canadas expand and contract from the > refuge HQ "refugium." So, the debate centers on whether we consider Canada > Geese as a "subsidized" species, or do we consider those protected "refugia" > as part of the permanent landscape? Such considerations would also have > ramifications for species such as Muscovy... > I'm hoping that the LBRC will make a "ruling" on this problem in the > near future. The conundrum is whether we can make the case for > re-designating Canada Goose as an "Introduced" species when it's already on > the list based on historical wild occurrence and could potentially still > occur in the wild..... > In the case of Mallard, as myself and others have pointed out, there's > not a whole lot that can be done as far as countability of "resident" > populations. The species is a common migrant and wintering bird in the > wild, and there's some evidence that increasing numbers are remaining in LA > during the summer. There probably is some gene flow between wintering birds > and residents (and between Mallards and Mottled Ducks). So, I would say > that Mallard countability should be on the honor system. If you see > Mallards that are normally plumaged, normally shaped, and can fly, or if > they are seen in "wild situations" (e.g., sitting in a ricefield, even if a > potential cripple) then count them. If they can't fly, are the size of a > goose, have aberrant plumage or soft parts colors, or fail the "bread test," > then they should not be counted. > > Steve Cardiff > > > On 5/7/08 8:46 AM, "David Muth" wrote: > > > Richard/Labird: > > > > I had to get my little dig in about Canadas and Mallard, but Big Day teams > > have been counting them for years. I haven't done a soutwest La. > > Big Day for a > > long, long time, so I guess these days I'd just follow the convention. > > > > It is remarkable how many species are possible or even probable now that were > > real long shots 20 years ago. When I started doing Big Days I used to code > > birds by the likelihood of an encounter from 1 (certain) to 5 (fantastic > > luck). Black-bellied Whistling Duck, White-tailed Kite, caracara and > > oystercatcher would have been 5s, Brown Pelicans in Cameron were 4s as were > > Inca Dove and Swainson's Hawk. White-winged Dove was a long shot in late > > April. There were, of course, no collared-doves and House Finches were still > > 5s. I like to think that with those birds available, plus countable mallards > > and Canadas, I'd have broken 200 a couple of times, though obviously by that > > logic Cardiff, Dittmann, Parker and Remsen would have broken 210. I don't > > think any species has dropped off the list of probables, though a few have > > declined in abundance. > > > > I better stop thinking about this, or I'll be planning a 2009 Big Day. > > > > BTW, I think we ought to settle on a convention about countability (and, more > > importantly, reportability) of "Rockerfeller" Canadas, and other Canadas and > > Mallards. If we count "wild" breeding mallards in the coastal zone or along > > rivers or in ag farm fields, do we also count golf course free-flying Canadas > > and city park mallards, mixed with white Pekins and pie-bald Muscovies? I've > > always treated them as being in seperate categories from truly > > wild birds, and > > have tried to hold the line for the CBC, but is that truly the best course? > > Input welcome. > > > > David Muth > > New Orleans > > > > ---- Richard Gibbons wrote: > > > > ============= > > David and LABIRDers, > > > > Good catch! I accidentally deleted Least Tern and Herring Gull from the > > eBird list when cleaning it up for posting. You are right on the mark > > with shorebirds and waterfowl saving the day. > > > > The morning was foggy so perched Mississippi Kites were not detected > > on the snags as we raced southward out of their breeding range. As we > > left Lake Charles without it, we knew it might well be a dip. We found > > what was probably a "Traill's" Flycatcher in Peveto, but without a call > > note or better look, we decided it was best to leave it off. > > > > The Mallards and Rockefeller Canada Geese are sloppy and maybe just > > unacceptable. I'd be interested to hear what others think. I'm falling > > in line with the past LSU Big Days which I was able to consult and they > > counted them. > > > > We did not use the 5 minute rule with Red-cockaded Woodpecker as this > > is a World Series of Birding rule that was worked in at some point in > > the past and it just seemed too sloppy. > > > > The LeConte's was kicked up during a comfort stop alongside a rice > > field. We flushed it three more times to get a good look. > > > > A scouted Eared Grebe from two days before in Lake Charles and many > > other misses suggests a bigger day is well within reach. If you look at > > the Lyon et al. list, you see there are several species the other team > > missed. It might be worth doing a thorough information share session > > next year for any group interested in making a run at 220. > > > > 215 is certainly not the limit. If Kansas can get 225, I'm pretty sure > > Louisiana can get 226. > > > > There's always next year! > > > > > > Richard Gibbons > > Baton Rouge, LA > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________________ > > ______ > > Be a better friend, newshound, and > > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > > http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ > > > > -- > > David Muth > > New Orleans > Subject: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List From: Tommy Walker <birdman3607 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 19:39:24 -0700 Dan,Labird, I still don't get what the hold up is on Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus). Had to say it!, Tommy Walker, Jr. "Purrington, Robert D" wrote: We allow various established exotics on Christmas Counts and Big Days, etc. Consider E. Starling, House Sparrow, Rock Pigeon, ECDO, perhaps even House Finch. In the case of Canada Geese, Mallards, Muscovies, and all manner of intergrades, these birds are actively introduced on a continuous basis into canals, parks, etc. Aside from how long a bird has been established as breeding, the fact that misguided citizens are constantly helping these exotics extend their range is an important distinction. It seems to me Monk Parakeet is perhaps one to suspend judgement on, for a bit, although it has been breeding here since well before the first ECDO. I might add that it is usually not hard to tell whether a mallard is countable or not. On the other hand, I was complicit in counting a canada goose flock on a New Orleans CBC that might not have been sanitary. Dan Purrington Subject: Re: Recent raven sighting in LA From: "Purrington, Robert D" <danny AT TULANE.EDU> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 17:15:37 -0500 Chihuahuan, I think -----Original Message----- From: Bulletin Board for Dissemination of Information on Louisiana Birds [mailto:LABIRD-L AT LISTSERV.LSU.EDU] On Behalf Of Ingold, James Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 1:47 PM To: LABIRD-L AT LISTSERV.LSU.EDU Subject: [LABIRD-L] Recent raven sighting in LA I’m making corrections on a manuscript that is going to press soon. Recently someone posted about seeing a white-necked raven in LA. Is this confirmed? Who saw it and when? I know the name is changed but I can spell white-necked ☺ Jim Subject: Re: Countability and Subspecies ID From: "Purrington, Robert D" <danny AT TULANE.EDU> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 16:45:43 -0500 Stefan-- You are clearly right. One should not employ a greater degree of specificity than is justified by the data. It's very much like giving significant figures in a numerical answer that are not justified by the knowledge of the data themselves and their uncertainties. Dan Purrington Subject: Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List From: "Purrington, Robert D" <danny AT TULANE.EDU> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 16:45:43 -0500 We allow various established exotics on Christmas Counts and Big Days, etc. Consider E. Starling, House Sparrow, Rock Pigeon, ECDO, perhaps even House Finch. In the case of Canada Geese, Mallards, Muscovies, and all manner of intergrades, these birds are actively introduced on a continuous basis into canals, parks, etc. Aside from how long a bird has been established as breeding, the fact that misguided citizens are constantly helping these exotics extend their range is an important distinction. It seems to me Monk Parakeet is perhaps one to suspend judgement on, for a bit, although it has been breeding here since well before the first ECDO. I might add that it is usually not hard to tell whether a mallard is countable or not. On the other hand, I was complicit in counting a canada goose flock on a New Orleans CBC that might not have been sanitary. Dan Purrington Subject: Atchafalaya Basin IBA Recognition Ceremony, May 10th From: "DRISCOLL, Melanie" <mdriscoll AT AUDUBON.ORG> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 17:03:14 -0400 National Audubon to Recognize Atchafalaya Basin as an Important Bird Area The National Audubon Society of Louisiana will recognize the Atchafalaya Basin as an Important Bird Area (IBA) on May 10, 2008, International Migratory Bird Day. This will be the first such recognition for any IBA in the state of Louisiana. The ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area headquarters on Whiskey Bay Road during Step Outside Day, and it is open to the public. The largest remaining tract of bottomland hardwood forest in the United States, the Atchafalaya Basin is gaining recognition as an IBA due to its vital importance for breeding populations of Northern Parula, Kentucky, Prothonotary, Swainson�s and Yellow-throated Warblers, as well as Swallow-tailed Kites and the colorful and near-threatened Painted Bunting. It is also a migratory stopover site for globally important concentrations of up to 2,000 Wood Storks in the fall. The site is visited by hundreds of birders annually, as well as numerous hunters and anglers. For an introduction to the birds for which the Atchafalaya Basin has been identified as an IBA, attend the Neotropical Songbird Tour. To follow the tour stops on your own, assemble between 7 and 8 a.m. at the intersection of I10 and LA 975. Or, gather at 6:30 a.m. at Coffee Call (I10 and College Drive in Baton Rouge) to join the tour led by Richard Gibbons of the Baton Rouge Audubon Society. At the IBA recognition ceremony, Paul Kemp, Vice-President of Louisiana�s Gulf Coast Initiative, will speak about the importance of the site to birds. Representatives of the major public landowners in the Atchafalaya Basin will also speak briefly about the site. These individuals include Neil Lalonde of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Danny Breaux of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Michael Seymour, of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. �It�s with great pleasure that I announce today that the Atchafalaya Basin will be the first site in Louisiana officially recognized as an Important Bird Area under National Audubon�s Louisiana IBA program,� said Melanie Driscoll, Louisiana�s Important Bird Areas Coordinator. Driscoll added, �National Audubon looks forward to working in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other interested organizations and private landowners, in promoting sound bird conservation practices on the site for years to come.� National Audubon Society�s Important Bird Areas program identifies significant bird habitat across Louisiana based on data reviewed by a technical committee of 18 experts using peer-reviewed scientific criteria. The IBA Program is a voluntary effort to help willing private and public land managers provide the best stewardship practices for bird conservation on their property. It is a non-regulatory program providing sound scientific information to help build conservation partnerships. STEP OUTSIDE is a national program administered by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to increase participation in outdoor sports. This year�s event runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will include fishing, archery, boating, target and trap shooting, wood crafts construction, nature photography, raptors, bird watching and decoy painting. Step Outside Day is open to all children and adults, but is targeted to those with special needs. For further information on the National Audubon Society of Louisiana�s Important Bird Areas program contact Melanie Driscoll, Important Bird Areas Program Coordinator, Louisiana Bird Resource Center, c/o LSU Museum of Natural Science, 119 Foster Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803; (225) 938-7209. The Important Bird Areas program began by Bird Life International in the late 1980s as a way of recognizing and ultimately conserving land that is vital to the health and survival of birds. As Bird Life International�s official U.S. partner, Audubon spearheads the program here, with more than 2,000 IBAs already identified in more than 40 states. IBAs are sites that provide habitat essential for the breeding, feeding, wintering or migration of one or more species of birds. IBAs may be large or small and either publicly or privately owned, sharing characteristics such as high bird diversity, threatened species, or the presence of unusually large numbers of birds. To be recognized as an IBA, a sight is nominated and evaluated based on standard scientific criteria to ensure its significance to birds. Audubon chapters, scientists and the general public may nominate site. The recognition of an IBA does not confer any legal or regulatory status, and is entirely voluntary. Now in its second century, Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation. ### Melanie Melanie Driscoll Coordinator, Louisiana IBA Program Louisiana Bird Resource Center LSU Museum of Natural Science 119 Foster Hall Baton Rouge, LA 70803 work: 225-578-3116 cell: 225-938-7209 mdriscoll AT audubon.org www.audubon.org Subject: Re: Recent raven sighting in LA From: Buford Myers <bmyers990 AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 15:13:01 -0500 Jim, It was Dan Lane who saw it, photographed or videoed it, and obtained audio recordings of call. This was 12 April near Holly Beach. I have not seen any of the documentation, but I suspect you could take it to the bank. Mac ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ingold, James" To: Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 1:46 PM Subject: [LABIRD-L] Recent raven sighting in LA > I’m making corrections on a manuscript that is going to press soon. > Recently someone posted about seeing a white-necked raven in LA. Is this > confirmed? Who saw it and when? > > I know the name is changed but I can spell white-necked ☺ > > Jim Subject: Re: Recent raven sighting in LA From: JDillon <jdillon AT WEBSTERPSB.ORG> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 14:16:37 -0500 Just as long as there are no sightings of red-necked ravens. ...which would probably be in a Wal-Mart parking lot somewhere. JD -----Original Message----- From: Bulletin Board for Dissemination of Information on Louisiana Birds [mailto:LABIRD-L AT LISTSERV.LSU.EDU] On Behalf Of Ingold, James Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 1:47 PM To: LABIRD-L AT LISTSERV.LSU.EDU Subject: [LABIRD-L] Recent raven sighting in LA I’m making corrections on a manuscript that is going to press soon. Recently someone posted about seeing a white-necked raven in LA. Is this confirmed? Who saw it and when? I know the name is changed but I can spell white-necked ☺ Jim Subject: Recent raven sighting in LA From: "Ingold, James" <James.Ingold AT LSUS.EDU> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 13:46:39 -0500 I’m making corrections on a manuscript that is going to press soon. Recently someone posted about seeing a white-necked raven in LA. Is this confirmed? Who saw it and when? I know the name is changed but I can spell white-necked ☺ Jim Subject: Single friendly Canada Goose From: Miriam Davey <athena_9 AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 08:18:20 -0500 Dave There was a single Canada Goose swimming around MS River floodwaters adjacent to Richfield Riversilt levee in early April. It wasn't much spooked by either me or our goofy Doberman just a few ft away, and was in the general vicinity of the infamous Ben Hur/LSU feral goose flock. Feral, I assumed. My 2cents on what is kosher for lists: Some of us, IF were inclined to keep lists at all, would put non-avian critters and even plants on them. And maybe a human celeb or two, or that ultra- rare, REALLY good-looking hunk of guy. Many birders keep multiple bird lists (birds seen/heard on TV, birds seen from the toilet) and other lists (US counties visited, state license plates) other than their official bird lists. Ferals are often included on some of those other lists. MiriamLDavey BatonRougeLA Subject: Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List From: Paul Conover <zoiseaux AT COX.NET> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 07:11:53 -0500 David, Labird, If my mist net won't hold them, I think I have a Magnalite that will. Paul Conover Lafayette ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Muth" To: "Paul Conover" ; Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 10:13 PM Subject: Re: [LABIRD-L] Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List > Paul/Labird: > > Well clearly we need to put bands on our winter birds and try to get some > returns. Do you think your mist nets will hold them? > > David Muth > New Orleans > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Paul Conover" > To: > Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 7:28 PM > Subject: Re: [LABIRD-L] Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List > > >> David, >> You might recall that I mentioned an article I had seen a while back >> about feral Canadas. In short, it said that a group that was against the >> culling of feral flocks found proof through banding returns that their >> local feral Canadas were migrating out in winter. They were arguing in >> court that this should lead to their protection under the Migratory Bird >> Act. >> You asked me at the time if I could back up my fuzzy memory with a >> citation, and no, I couldn't--and can't. Maybe someone with better >> Googling skills might be able to dig it up, or maybe one of you read the >> same article. >> >> Paul Conover >> Lafayette >> >> >> >>> >>> The question is: where are they? Anybody seeing Canadas somewhere >>> unexpected? What is the situation at other parks and golf courses with >>> winter flocks? Are our Canadas simply dispersed widely but locally, or >>> do they actually migrate to some other park to the north? Anybody know >>> anything? >>> >>> David >>> >>> David Muth >>> New Orleans >>> >>> >>> >> > > > Subject: Re: Rig birds 7-May-08 From: Devin Eby-Bosler <debybo1 AT LSU.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 22:18:06 -0500 Troy/LABIRD, Presumably these are Northern Waterthrushes (NOWA), as a Louisiana Waterthrush (LOWA) would be exceptionally late at this date. LOWA is one of our earliest neotropical spring migrants, reaching the Gulf coast by mid-March or earlier. Nearly all LOWA have returned to breeding grounds by late March to early April, so having 3 individuals on two consecutive days out in the GOM would be an unprecedented occurence in May. Thanks for sharing your sightings from the GOM. Devin Bosler LSU-Baton Rouge Good evening everyone, Today was a slow day work wise and bird wise. Too bad I didn't have more birds but that's how it goes here. I observed two birds during the day, one La Waterthrush and one Gray Catbird. One LAWT specimen was collected today. Just now there was either a Semipalmated Plover or a Wilson's Plover on the heliport. This bird had only one ring on it's neck. I am thinking it's a Semipalmated because of the size listed in Peterson's Eastern book. I've never seen one of these birds offshore before, so I don't know which I may be apt to see over the other. I am head on shore tomorrow so this will be my last rig report for a couple of weeks. I understand that I am missing a lot of action in our yard in Vicksburg. Good night all. Troy Reitan/GOM 190 miles SSW of Port Fouchon, La Subject: Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List From: David Muth <dpmuth AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 22:13:01 -0500 Paul/Labird: Well clearly we need to put bands on our winter birds and try to get some returns. Do you think your mist nets will hold them? David Muth New Orleans ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Conover" To: Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 7:28 PM Subject: Re: [LABIRD-L] Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List > David, > You might recall that I mentioned an article I had seen a while back > about feral Canadas. In short, it said that a group that was against the > culling of feral flocks found proof through banding returns that their > local feral Canadas were migrating out in winter. They were arguing in > court that this should lead to their protection under the Migratory Bird > Act. > You asked me at the time if I could back up my fuzzy memory with a > citation, and no, I couldn't--and can't. Maybe someone with better > Googling skills might be able to dig it up, or maybe one of you read the > same article. > > Paul Conover > Lafayette > > > >> >> The question is: where are they? Anybody seeing Canadas somewhere >> unexpected? What is the situation at other parks and golf courses with >> winter flocks? Are our Canadas simply dispersed widely but locally, or do >> they actually migrate to some other park to the north? Anybody know >> anything? >> >> David >> >> David Muth >> New Orleans >> >> >> > Subject: Re: Possible Fork-Tailed FC From: "James W. Beck" <agkistrodon AT WORLDNET.ATT.NET> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 21:33:13 -0500 Josh, There was a Fork-tailed Flycatcher in Plaquemines Parish earlier in the year....a 2nd Louisiana record. I suppose it could possibly be the same individual? -j At 04:01 PM 5/7/2008, you wrote: >My wife and I spent a few days birding most of southern LA. On the >5th, we decided to drive down to Venice to check out that area. On >our way (just north of Boothville) my wife hollered to stop and turn >around. She was kind of confused about what she had seen. After >discussing it, she is very sure it was a Fork-tailed flycatcher. She >said the bird seemed slightly larger than a Scissor-tailed FC, dark >colored, and its tail feathers sort of fluttered individually like >ribbons instead of stiff like a Scissor-tail. Also, we grew up in NE >Oklahoma so we are very good with Scissor-tail identification. Well >we unfortunately never relocated the bird in question. We also >didn't see it as we headed back north the next morning. I'm not sure >if anyone will want to go looking for it with such a slim chance, >but I figured the list deserves to know that one might be in that area. > >Josh Engelbert & Melissa Patrick >Jonesboro, AR (school) >Copan, OK (home) > >--------------------------------- >Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! >Mobile. Try it now. James W. Beck Broussard, Louisiana Venomous Photography "Anything that bites, and then some". Subject: Rig birds 7-May-08 From: cnrdmd AT bellsouth.net Date: Thu, 08 May 2008 01:55:40 +0000 Good evening everyone, Today was a slow day work wise and bird wise. Too bad I didn't have more birds but that's how it goes here. I observed two birds during the day, one La Waterthrush and one Gray Catbird. One LAWT specimen was collected today. Just now there was either a Semipalmated Plover or a Wilson's Plover on the heliport. This bird had only one ring on it's neck. I am thinking it's a Semipalmated because of the size listed in Peterson's Eastern book. I've never seen one of these birds offshore before, so I don't know which I may be apt to see over the other. I am head on shore tomorrow so this will be my last rig report for a couple of weeks. I understand that I am missing a lot of action in our yard in Vicksburg. Good night all. Troy Reitan/GOM 190 miles SSW of Port Fouchon, La Subject: Rig birds 7-May-08 From: Troy Reitan/Denise Duvic <cnrdmd AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 01:55:40 +0000 Good evening everyone, Today was a slow day work wise and bird wise. Too bad I didn't have more birds but that's how it goes here. I observed two birds during the day, one La Waterthrush and one Gray Catbird. One LAWT specimen was collected today. Just now there was either a Semipalmated Plover or a Wilson's Plover on the heliport. This bird had only one ring on it's neck. I am thinking it's a Semipalmated because of the size listed in Peterson's Eastern book. I've never seen one of these birds offshore before, so I don't know which I may be apt to see over the other. I am head on shore tomorrow so this will be my last rig report for a couple of weeks. I understand that I am missing a lot of action in our yard in Vicksburg. Good night all. Troy Reitan/GOM 190 miles SSW of Port Fouchon, La Subject: Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List From: Paul Conover <zoiseaux AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 19:28:04 -0500 David, You might recall that I mentioned an article I had seen a while back about feral Canadas. In short, it said that a group that was against the culling of feral flocks found proof through banding returns that their local feral Canadas were migrating out in winter. They were arguing in court that this should lead to their protection under the Migratory Bird Act. You asked me at the time if I could back up my fuzzy memory with a citation, and no, I couldn't--and can't. Maybe someone with better Googling skills might be able to dig it up, or maybe one of you read the same article. Paul Conover Lafayette > > The question is: where are they? Anybody seeing Canadas somewhere > unexpected? What is the situation at other parks and golf courses with > winter flocks? Are our Canadas simply dispersed widely but locally, or do > they actually migrate to some other park to the north? Anybody know > anything? > > David > > David Muth > New Orleans > > > Subject: Rockefeller NWR , 5/6/08 From: Jacob Saucier <jsauci3 AT LSU.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 19:06:45 -0500 Hey Labird, On Tuesday I found myself on a last minute trip to Rockefeller NWR to pick up bees for the bee lab. I decided to take advantage of it as a birding opportunity, but being that it was a work trip I wasn't able to dedicate all of my free time to observing and/or counting individual birds. But since I wasn't driving I was able to jot down what I saw at each stop and as I hung out of the window. Also, it helped that my coworker on this trip was open-minded and willing to stop every now and then for birds. Our apiary is located in the western end about a mile south of Hwy 82. Most of this place is inaccessible to the public, which is unfortunate because birding it from the road just doesn't do it justice. The core habitat of this refuge is dense tracts of tall marsh grasses (unfortunately I don't know what types) cut by canals, and once inside the breeding bird density is reminiscent of Whiskey Bay. Especially numerous were Orchard Orioles, all of which were territorial to an extent that some would challenge the truck as we drove by. Not far behind in numbers were Boat-tailed Grackles, Eastern Kingbirds, and Common Yellowthroats. There were also some territorial Black-necked Stilts, so I assume they're breeding here too. Other cool birds were an Osprey flying overhead and a small flock of 5-6 Bobolinks near the entrance. The Yellow Warbler, Summer Tanager, and Yellow-billed Cuckoo were seen and heard in the trees (willow and tallow) near the apiary itself. Also of note was a family of Clapper Rails seen crossing the road, comprised of an adult and several youngsters (still quite black and fluffy). And of course, Least Bitterns are always cool. List below: Also, I was surprised to see us kicking up at least a dozen Savannah Sparrows as we drove down the narrow grass road; they must be getting late soon(?). Unfortunately I didn't see any representatives of the Rockefeller Canadian Goose flock, so I can't contribute to that thread. Location: Rockefeller NWR Observation date: 5/6/08 Number of species: 41 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck --6 Mottled Duck --2 Neotropic Cormorant Least Bittern ~7 Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Tricolored Heron + (predominant heron) Cattle Egret Green Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron--1 White Ibis White-faced Ibis ++ Roseate Spoonbill Osprey --1 Clapper Rail Purple Gallinule Common Moorhen American Coot Black-necked Stilt Willet --1 Laughing Gull Forster's Tern (some flushed from ground in gravelly area) Royal Tern Mourning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo --1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird + Eastern Kingbird ++ crow sp. --didn't vocalize, but Fish by appearance (although I think American is expected here) Barn Swallow + Marsh Wren Yellow Warbler --1 Common Yellowthroat ++ Summer Tanager --1 Savannah Sparrow ~12 Bobolink --6-7 Common Grackle + Boat-tailed Grackle ++ Brown-headed Cowbird Orchard Oriole +++ This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Jacob Saucier Subject: Recent CENLA Birds From: Huner Jay V <jvh0660 AT LOUISIANA.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 17:13:59 -0500 I could not find this in my inbox so thought I would send it again. This gives me a chance to mention a bird I forgot to included - Black-billed Cuckoo. Jay H. ---------- Forwarded Message ----------- From: "Huner Jay V" To: Bulletin Board for Dissemination of Information on Louisiana Birds Sent: Wed, 7 May 2008 07:42:45 -0500 Subject: Recent CENLA Birds There are three comprehensive parish bird lists - Acadia, Rapides, and St. Martin, all the result of Marty Floyd's efforts. I use these parish lists to help me decide whether or not to submit 3x5 cards. Recent "Reportable" birds based on the Rapides list are: - Common Loon - 20-30' away from my bulkhead the other day! - Bald Eagle - Common Tern - No, I am NOT mistaking it for a Forster's Tern! - Alder Flycatcher - White-breasted Nuthatch - "yanking" up a storm and apparently breeding. No, I've seen the birds and they are not "late" Red-breasted Nuthatches. This is the third spring that I've had the birds here and, for now, this location is the southermost documentation of breeding of the species in Louisiana to the BEST of my knowledge. - Tennessee Warbler - Blackpoll Warbler I realize that the flycatcher and warblers would be "expected" to pass through the area in migration. But, there are next to no records! Also, eagles are "ho hum" now; however, their current breeding status here was not noted by Floyd, Breedlove, and Cummings (2000) who considered the birds to be Rare winter birds. And, the loon is not really a surprise but until 2002 or 2003, no loons had been reported from Rapides Parish. I think that Jim Johnson had the first loon at the reservoir at Woodworth the year before I reported one at Cotile Lake, but it was never clear if he submitted a 3x5 card. Knowing what an astute birder Jim is, I am sure that he recognized the uniqueness of his observation and documented it. And, for what it's worth, I am seeing a few suspicious Tree Swallows suggesting that they will or are breeding around here for the third year in a row. Jay Huner ------- End of Forwarded Message ------- -- Subject: Re: Herring Gull splits From: "Woltmann, Stefan" <swoltman AT TULANE.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 17:06:38 -0500 Mac, Steve and LABird, I see that the British Ornithologists' Union has recently split American Herring Gull from "Caspian" Gull (cachinnans), but they apparently left vegae and mongolicus in with smithsonianus, all as American Herring Gull (am I wrong in thinking it's odd to have something called mongolicus - with an asian distribution - in "American" Herring Gull?). Not sure where the other Eurasian subspecies stand, but presumably split. I understand well the desire to pick out non-smithsonianus Herring Gulls in North America, and kudos to those who can and do. I just think it's case of pseudo-precision to call all the Herring Gulls around here "American" just because there's a spot for it on e-bird. Stefan Stefan Woltmann Dept. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology 400 Boggs Tulane University New Orleans, LA 70118 swoltman AT tulane.edu ________________________________ From: Bulletin Board for Dissemination of Information on Louisiana Birds on behalf of Buford Myers Sent: Wed 07-May-08 16:10 To: LABIRD-L AT LISTSERV.LSU.EDU Subject: Re: [LABIRD-L] Herring Gull splits Steve, Stefan and Labird, I realize that AOU reigns supreme in our hemisphere, or at least in North and Middle America. Perhaps there is some sort of ornithological Monroe doctrine concering old world ornithologists messing with our avifauna's taxonomy. But haven't some other equivalent organizations in Britain or Europe already split American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) from the European argentatus/argenteus? Mac ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steven W. Cardiff" To: Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 1:05 PM Subject: Re: [LABIRD-L] Herring Gull splits > Stefan (labird)- > I agree with you that "smithsonianus" is the default Herring Gull over > most of North America, so it seems pretty silly to list "Herring Gull > (American)" on ebird lists, etc. You can go to the AOU website and view > "species split" proposals and anonymous AOU Check-list Committee Member > comments. The proposal to split American Herring Gull failed by a 2-8 > vote. > The proposal to split Vega Gull failed by a 4-6 vote. > > Steve Cardiff > > Subject: Possible Fork-Tailed FC From: Josh Engelbert <labirdguest AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 14:01:22 -0700 My wife and I spent a few days birding most of southern LA. On the 5th, we decided to drive down to Venice to check out that area. On our way (just north of Boothville) my wife hollered to stop and turn around. She was kind of confused about what she had seen. After discussing it, she is very sure it was a Fork-tailed flycatcher. She said the bird seemed slightly larger than a Scissor-tailed FC, dark colored, and its tail feathers sort of fluttered individually like ribbons instead of stiff like a Scissor-tail. Also, we grew up in NE Oklahoma so we are very good with Scissor-tail identification. Well we unfortunately never relocated the bird in question. We also didn't see it as we headed back north the next morning. I'm not sure if anyone will want to go looking for it with such a slim chance, but I figured the list deserves to know that one might be in that area. Josh Engelbert & Melissa Patrick Jonesboro, AR (school) Copan, OK (home) --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Subject: Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List From: David Muth <dpmuth AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 17:02:09 -0400 Bruce: You raise good points, and I like the Ebird response. However, they need to make the ebird interface more user friendly by including these options in the template that opens up each time, rather than forcing one to hunt and peck. As to City Park Canadas, I too have been tracking them more assiduously this spring as a result of our discussions. I meant to post this eventually, but here goes. I assure you that a large flock is there each winter. I have made the lazt assumption that these birds, like the other park ducks, geese and swans, disperse in spring to breed along lagoons throughout the park, keeping a low profile, but still there. However, like you I've seen very few actual birds about since early March--very few. I haven't walked all the laggon edges, but I expect I'll find that my assumption was wrong, and that most of the winter flock actually leaves the park during the breeding season. The question is: where are they? Anybody seeing Canadas somewhere unexpected? What is the situation at other parks and golf courses with winter flocks? Are our Canadas simply dispersed widely but locally, or do they actually migrate to some other park to the north? Anybody know anything? David David Muth New Orleans ______________________________________________________________________________ ______ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ -- David Muth New Orleans **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family favorites at AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) -- David Muth New Orleans Subject: Re: Herring Gull splits From: Buford Myers <bmyers990 AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 16:10:28 -0500 Steve, Stefan and Labird, I realize that AOU reigns supreme in our hemisphere, or at least in North and Middle America. Perhaps there is some sort of ornithological Monroe doctrine concering old world ornithologists messing with our avifauna's taxonomy. But haven't some other equivalent organizations in Britain or Europe already split American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) from the European argentatus/argenteus? Mac ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steven W. Cardiff" To: Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 1:05 PM Subject: Re: [LABIRD-L] Herring Gull splits > Stefan (labird)- > I agree with you that "smithsonianus" is the default Herring Gull over > most of North America, so it seems pretty silly to list "Herring Gull > (American)" on ebird lists, etc. You can go to the AOU website and view > "species split" proposals and anonymous AOU Check-list Committee Member > comments. The proposal to split American Herring Gull failed by a 2-8 > vote. > The proposal to split Vega Gull failed by a 4-6 vote. > > Steve Cardiff > > Subject: Re: LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record From: David Muth <dpmuth AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 16:23:11 -0400 Steve/Labird: Sorry if I implied those were bad misses--I was really assuming there was something so obvious I was not seeing it, on the level of Cattle Egret, since most big days have a true worst miss. I agree that the birds you list are not gimmes at all, just possibilities, in the 3 range or harder on my scale. The truth is it looks like they got almost all of the 1, 2, and 3 birds, which is why it is a record run. David David Muth New Orleans ---- "Steven W. Cardiff" wrote: ============= David M./Richard/Brian (labird)- I would consider "non-Acadian" Empids as easy to miss on spring big days, especially in April. We have very few hard-evidence spring records of non-Acadians from the coast (despite intensive efforts to document): only a couple of Least specimens from as early as late April; earliest Yellow-bellied specimen is 7 May, earliest "Traill's" were voice-recorded singing Willow Flycatchers 12 May. So, any coastal report of silent, non-Acadian empids from late April should be considered tentative at best. Loon, kingbird, and Bobolink aren't necessarily spring gimmees either. I would not categorize those among "worst misses." Steve Cardiff Subject: Re: Big Day Question -- what IS the record? From: "Steven W. Cardiff" <scardif AT LSU.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 14:58:12 -0500 Dawn, Labird- The official (submitted to ABA and published in the annual list totals) LA Big Day record is 209. The 211 Big Day was apparently never submitted. Of course, now that the 2008 LSU Team has let the cat out of the bag and blown everyone out of the water with 215, the 211 LSU team may be somewhat depressed, but they should still be encouraged to submit that former #1 record because it will have stood for 5 years or so and will still be the #2 record when the 2008 record gets officially published. Steve Cardiff On 5/3/08 10:26 AM, "Dawn Perkins" wrote: > I would like to add my congratulations also. 208 is a most impressive total. > Especially for post Rita/Katrina! > > Someone mentioned that the previous record was 209. I thought the record was > 211 set by > the LSU birdathon team in 2003. All of these numbers are impressive and far > beyond what > I could do. So as a fascinated bystander I am curious to know what the > current record actually is and in what year it was set. > > As for the rule under debate: I think you would have to be careful, in a > competitive setting, about > invalidating someone's result because of someone else's comments. We have no > control over what other people say or do. In my humble opinion: No one's Big > Day should be invalidated because another birder, in the heat of the moment, > couldn't resist sharing the excitement of their find. All the team members > can do is disclose that they are doing a Big Day. They can't stick a cork in > somebody else's mouth. Also, imagine if you were in a competitive setting and > all you had to do to sabotage the opposing team was to send a few buddies out > in the field to "helpfully" tell the other teams where certain birds were and > then, boom, their results are invalidated. Heh. It's a good thing birders > almost always use their powers for good rather than evil. > > I look forward to reading LSU's birdathon also. I always enjoy reading these > reports. They are like adventure stories. > > Best wishes, Dawn > _________________________________________________________________ > Get Free (PRODUCT) RED� Emoticons, Winks and Display Pics. > http://joinred.spaces.live.com?ocid=TXT_HMTG_prodredemoticons_052008 Subject: western kingbirds and other stuff From: Gary Broussard <redeyedvireo AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 14:28:36 -0500 I've been meaning to post this at some point... I had 9 western kingbirds at holleyman on may 2 nd. also a bobolink on may 3 off of west congress in Lafayette. also noteable was a prairie warbler on April 28 at holleyman. common ground dove may4 at holleyman. A. black- headed rose-breasted grosbeak hybrid made a brief appearance in my breaux bridge yard may 5. gary On May 7, 2008, at 1:31 PM, "Steven W. Cardiff" wrote: > David M./Richard/Brian (labird)- > I would consider "non-Acadian" Empids as easy to miss on spring big > days, especially in April. We have very few hard-evidence spring > records of > non-Acadians from the coast (despite intensive efforts to document): > only a > couple of Least specimens from as early as late April; earliest > Yellow-bellied specimen is 7 May, earliest "Traill's" were voice- > recorded > singing Willow Flycatchers 12 May. So, any coastal report of silent, > non-Acadian empids from late April should be considered tentative at > best. > > Loon, kingbird, and Bobolink aren't necessarily spring gimmees > either. I > would not categorize those among "worst misses." > > Steve Cardiff > > > On 5/6/08 11:38 PM, "David Muth" wrote: >> >> I'm sure we'll hear about the worst misses, but I note no loon, >> Mississippi >> Kite, Herring Gull, Least Tern!, non-acadian empidonax, Western >> Kingbird, or >> Bobolink right off the bat--I'm sure I'm missing others. >> >> All of which means 215 is not the limit. >> >> Excellent job. >> >> David Muth >> New Orleans >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Richard Gibbons" >> To: >> Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:57 PM >> Subject: [LABIRD-L] LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record >> >> >>> LABIRDers, >>> >>> The LSU Ornithology group does a big day each year to raise money >>> for >>> research projects. I can tell you that it is true when they say it >>> is >>> hard to get start up funds for field projects. I'm told once you >>> have >>> data from a pilot season and publish something, it becomes easier to >>> win grants. I'm personally hoping this is true. >>> >>> Below is a brief summary of our route and the species list generated >>> from eBird. A more complete account of the day will be sent to >>> donors >>> and posted to the Big Day website in the next week or so. >>> >>> In short, we had a great day and the scoter flock and migrants after >>> the front made the day. It was an awesome evening seeing all the >>> migrants dropping into Peveto woods. >>> >>> You can check out the report from last year and see the new t-shirt >>> design here. >>> >>> www.museum.lsu.edu/bigday.html >>> >>> Richard Gibbons >>> Baton Rouge, LA >>> >>> >>> >>> Report generated from eBird: >>> >>> Location: Louisiana, US >>> Observation date: 4/29/07 >>> >>> Observers: Brian O'Shea, Gustavo Bravo, Richard Gibbons, James >>> Maley, >>> and Phred Benham >>> Weather was calm and somewhat foggy in the morning with a cold front >>> passing the coast around 2 PM. >>> >>> We started in the pineywoods of Beauregard and Calcasieu Parish, >>> worked >>> west to a sod farm >>> east of Lake Charles, birded the rice country, Lacassine NWR, and >>> then >>> the coastal woodlots and beaches west to Sabine Pass. >>> >>> Number of species: 215 >>> >>> Black-bellied Whistling-Duck >>> Fulvous Whistling-Duck >>> Canada Goose >>> Wood Duck >>> Gadwall >>> Mallard >>> Mottled Duck >>> Blue-winged Teal >>> Northern Shoveler >>> Northern Pintail >>> Green-winged Teal >>> Ring-necked Duck >>> Greater Scaup >>> Lesser Scaup >>> Surf Scoter >>> White-winged Scoter >>> Black Scoter >>> Hooded Merganser >>> Pied-billed Grebe >>> American White Pelican >>> Brown Pelican >>> Neotropic Cormorant >>> Double-crested Cormorant >>> Anhinga >>> Least Bittern >>> Great Blue Heron >>> Great Egret >>> Snowy Egret >>> Little Blue Heron >>> Tricolored Heron >>> Cattle Egret >>> Green Heron >>> Black-crowned Night-Heron >>> Yellow-crowned Night-Heron >>> White Ibis >>> Glossy Ibis >>> White-faced Ibis >>> Roseate Spoonbill >>> Wood Stork >>> Black Vulture >>> Turkey Vulture >>> White-tailed Kite >>> Bald Eagle >>> Northern Harrier >>> Cooper's Hawk >>> Red-shouldered Hawk >>> Broad-winged Hawk >>> Swainson's Hawk >>> Red-tailed Hawk >>> Crested Caracara >>> Merlin >>> Peregrine Falcon >>> Clapper Rail >>> King Rail >>> Sora >>> Purple Gallinule >>> Common Moorhen >>> American Coot >>> Black-bellied Plover >>> Snowy Plover >>> Wilson's Plover >>> Semipalmated Plover >>> Piping Plover >>> Killdeer >>> American Oystercatcher >>> Black-necked Stilt >>> American Avocet >>> Spotted Sandpiper >>> Solitary Sandpiper >>> Greater Yellowlegs >>> Willet >>> Lesser Yellowlegs >>> Upland Sandpiper >>> Whimbrel >>> Long-billed Curlew >>> Ruddy Turnstone >>> Sanderling >>> Semipalmated Sandpiper >>> Western Sandpiper >>> Least Sandpiper >>> White-rumped Sandpiper >>> Pectoral Sandpiper >>> Dunlin >>> Stilt Sandpiper >>> Buff-breasted Sandpiper >>> Short-billed Dowitcher >>> Long-billed Dowitcher >>> Wilson's Phalarope >>> Laughing Gull >>> Bonaparte's Gull >>> Ring-billed Gull >>> Gull-billed Tern >>> Caspian Tern >>> Black Tern >>> Common Tern >>> Forster's Tern >>> Royal Tern >>> Sandwich Tern >>> Black Skimmer >>> Rock Pigeon >>> Eurasian Collared-Dove >>> White-winged Dove >>> Mourning Dove >>> Inca Dove >>> Yellow-billed Cuckoo >>> Black-billed Cuckoo >>> Barn Owl >>> Eastern Screech-Owl >>> Great Horned Owl >>> Barred Owl >>> Common Nighthawk >>> Chuck-will's-widow >>> Chimney Swift >>> Ruby-throated Hummingbird >>> Belted Kingfisher >>> Red-headed Woodpecker >>> Red-bellied Woodpecker >>> Downy Woodpecker >>> Hairy Woodpecker >>> Northern Flicker >>> Pileated Woodpecker >>> Eastern Wood-Pewee >>> Acadian Flycatcher >>> Great Crested Flycatcher >>> Eastern Kingbird >>> Scissor-tailed Flycatcher >>> Loggerhead Shrike >>> White-eyed Vireo >>> Yellow-throated Vireo >>> Philadelphia Vireo >>> Red-eyed Vireo >>> Blue Jay >>> American Crow >>> Fish Crow >>> Purple Martin >>> Tree Swallow >>> Northern Rough-winged Swallow >>> Bank Swallow >>> Cliff Swallow >>> Barn Swallow >>> Carolina Chickadee >>> Tufted Titmouse >>> Brown-headed Nuthatch >>> Carolina Wren >>> Sedge Wren >>> Marsh Wren >>> Blue-gray Gnatcatcher >>> Eastern Bluebird >>> Veery >>> Gray-cheeked Thrush >>> Swainson's Thrush >>> Wood Thrush >>> American Robin >>> Gray Catbird >>> Northern Mockingbird >>> Brown Thrasher >>> European Starling >>> Cedar Waxwing >>> Blue-winged Warbler >>> Golden-winged Warbler >>> Tennessee Warbler >>> Northern Parula >>> Yellow Warbler >>> Chestnut-sided Warbler >>> Magnolia Warbler >>> Cape May Warbler >>> Black-throated Green Warbler >>> Blackburnian Warbler >>> Yellow-throated Warbler >>> Pine Warbler >>> Prairie Warbler >>> Palm Warbler >>> Bay-breasted Warbler >>> Blackpoll Warbler >>> Cerulean Warbler >>> Black-and-white Warbler >>> American Redstart >>> Prothonotary Warbler >>> Worm-eating Warbler >>> Swainson's Warbler >>> Ovenbird >>> Northern Waterthrush >>> Kentucky Warbler >>> Common Yellowthroat >>> Hooded Warbler >>> Yellow-breasted Chat >>> Summer Tanager >>> Scarlet Tanager >>> Eastern Towhee >>> Bachman's Sparrow >>> Chipping Sparrow >>> Savannah Sparrow >>> Le Conte's Sparrow >>> Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow >>> Seaside Sparrow >>> White-throated Sparrow >>> White-crowned Sparrow >>> Northern Cardinal >>> Rose-breasted Grosbeak >>> Blue Grosbeak >>> Indigo Bunting >>> Painted Bunting >>> Dickcissel >>> Red-winged Blackbird >>> Eastern Meadowlark >>> Common Grackle >>> Boat-tailed Grackle >>> Great-tailed Grackle >>> Brown-headed Cowbird >>> Orchard Oriole >>> Baltimore Oriole >>> House Finch >>> House Sparrow >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _____________________________________________________________________________ >>> _______ >>> Be a better friend, newshound, and >>> know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. >>> http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ >>> Subject: Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List From: Bruce Baird <Bbairdsr AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 15:37:27 EDT David/LaBird I have expressed concern about not counting Canadas, Mallards, and other birds normally seen in parks and considered feral even when the sightings are many miles from the parks. I feel that by not counting at least the free flying species, how is the birding community ever going to separate the feral from the wild. As an example, I have been looking for the 50 Canada geese that you told me were resident in City Park during eight trips between 3/17/08 and today. The total counts were 3, 0, 0, 0, 6, 3, 0, and 4. If this is representative of the actual City Park Canada Goose count, then flocks greater than 6 seen either in or near the park cannot be attributed to being City Park resident birds. I realize that I am a rookie at this and my numbers may be low, but since Canadas are generally excluded from City Park eBird reports that are published on LaBird, how will accurate numbers ever be established. eBird allows entry of both Mallard and Mallard (Domestic type) and Muscovy Duck and Muscovy Duck (Domestic type). I thought this was a good way to record separate the wild from the feral for these two species, but unfortunately data entered in eBird for these two domestic types does not get included in one's personal summary data. I wrote eBird about this problem and the following is their response. One other thing, if a Big Day trip included the New Orleans area, would a Monk Parakeet be allowed? Bruce Baird Metairie, LA Subject: RE: [Fwd: Inclusion of Park Resident Birds on eBird] Date: 4/4/2008 From Miliff To: Bbairdsr cc: _bis42 AT cornell.edu_ (mailto:bis42 AT cornell.edu) Bruce, We wish more eBirders were like you. Tracking these "resident" birds is important too. If birders had kept good records of the city park Canada Geese back before they were everywhere, then we would have had a much better record of their spread. As it stands though, most birders do not spend much time tracking these exotics, with you and a few others being exceptions. By all means continue to do so. These records are excluded from the bar charts and maps since the state reviewers have probably tagged them as "ID OK--origin exotic". These keeps it so that one can look at the distribution of Baikal Teal in the US (records from western Alaska and the west coast) without having it clouded by escapees. Similarly, if all Muscovy Ducks were accepted, one would have no way of knowing where the wild ones are in a quick view. The Muscovy Duck (Domestic) and Mallard (Domestic) are excluded from life lists since most birders want to count wild ones only and do not want to end up counting it twice if they report a Mallard (Domestic) and a wild Mallard. In the future we plan to give users the option to manage their own list, but for the moment, we have defaulted to the way that most birders want it. Let me know if you have further questions--and keep reporting those birds! Best, Marshall Call it crazy, but I like to include park resident birds in my eBird data. I have recorded species such as Swan Goose, Mute Swan, Black Swan, Muscovy Duck (Domestic type) and Mallard (Domestic type) that are resident in my local parks using private locations. They appear in my list, but are excluded from other lists. For example, none of the five are included in the county or state lists in which my private location is located, and none of them are included in the My Bar Charts for my private locations. The Mute Swan is the only one to make it to My Summary Tables, and only the Mute Swan, Swan Goose, and Black Swan make it to My Life List. Does eBird do this intentionally, or is there a problem with the software? Bruce Baird -- ------------------------------------------------- Marshall J. Iliff West Roxbury, MA miliff AT aol.com ------------------------------------------------- eBird/AKN Project Leader Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 http://www.ebird.org http://www.avianknowledge.net ------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: Brian Sullivan [mailto:bls42 AT cornell.edu] Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2008 5:08 PM To: miliff AT aol.com Subject: [Fwd: Inclusion of Park Resident Birds on eBird] -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Inclusion of Park Resident Birds on eBird Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:41:11 EDT From: Bbairdsr AT aol.com To: ebird AT cornell.edu Call it crazy, but I like to include park resident birds in my eBird data. I have recorded species such as Swan Goose, Mute Swan, Black Swan, Muscovy Duck (Domestic type) and Mallard (Domestic type) that are resident in my local parks using private locations. They appear in my list, but are excluded from other lists. For example, none of the five are included in the county or state lists in which my private location is located, and none of them are included in the My Bar Charts for my private locations. The Mute Swan is the only one to make it to My Summary Tables, and only the Mute Swan, Swan Goose, and Black Swan make it to My Life List. Does eBird do this intentionally, or is there a problem with the software? Bruce Baird **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom0 0030000000001) -- ****************************** Brian L. Sullivan Pacific Grove, CA eBird/AKN Project Leader Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 www.ebird.org www.avianknowledge.net ----------- Photographic Editor Birds of North America Online Cornell Lab of Ornithology www.bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA ----------- Photographic Editor North American Birds American Birding Association www.americanbirding.org (609) 694-3280 ******************************** In a message dated 5/7/2008 8:48:48 A.M. Central Daylight Time, dpmuth AT COX.NET writes: Richard/Labird: I had to get my little dig in about Canadas and Mallard, but Big Day teams have been counting them for years. I haven't done a soutwest La. Big Day for a long, long time, so I guess these days I'd just follow the convention. It is remarkable how many species are possible or even probable now that were real long shots 20 years ago. When I started doing Big Days I used to code birds by the likelihood of an encounter from 1 (certain) to 5 (fantastic luck). Black-bellied Whistling Duck, White-tailed Kite, caracara and oystercatcher would have been 5s, Brown Pelicans in Cameron were 4s as were Inca Dove and Swainson's Hawk. White-winged Dove was a long shot in late April. There were, of course, no collared-doves and House Finches were still 5s. I like to think that with those birds available, plus countable mallards and Canadas, I'd have broken 200 a couple of times, though obviously by that logic Cardiff, Dittmann, Parker and Remsen would have broken 210. I don't think any species has dropped off the list of probables, though a few have declined in abundance. I better stop thinking about this, or I'll be planning a 2009 Big Day. BTW, I think we ought to settle on a convention about countability (and, more importantly, reportability) of "Rockerfeller" Canadas, and other Canadas and Mallards. If we count "wild" breeding mallards in the coastal zone or along rivers or in ag farm fields, do we also count golf course free-flying Canadas and city park mallards, mixed with white Pekins and pie-bald Muscovies? I've always treated them as being in seperate categories from truly wild birds, and have tried to hold the line for the CBC, but is that truly the best course? Input welcome. David Muth New Orleans ---- Richard Gibbons wrote: ============= David and LABIRDers, Good catch! I accidentally deleted Least Tern and Herring Gull from the eBird list when cleaning it up for posting. You are right on the mark with shorebirds and waterfowl saving the day. The morning was foggy so perched Mississippi Kites were not detected on the snags as we raced southward out of their breeding range. As we left Lake Charles without it, we knew it might well be a dip. We found what was probably a "Traill's" Flycatcher in Peveto, but without a call note or better look, we decided it was best to leave it off. The Mallards and Rockefeller Canada Geese are sloppy and maybe just unacceptable. I'd be interested to hear what others think. I'm falling in line with the past LSU Big Days which I was able to consult and they counted them. We did not use the 5 minute rule with Red-cockaded Woodpecker as this is a World Series of Birding rule that was worked in at some point in the past and it just seemed too sloppy. The LeConte's was kicked up during a comfort stop alongside a rice field. We flushed it three more times to get a good look. A scouted Eared Grebe from two days before in Lake Charles and many other misses suggests a bigger day is well within reach. If you look at the Lyon et al. list, you see there are several species the other team missed. It might be worth doing a thorough information share session next year for any group interested in making a run at 220. 215 is certainly not the limit. If Kansas can get 225, I'm pretty sure Louisiana can get 226. There's always next year! Richard Gibbons Baton Rouge, LA ______________________________________________________________________________ ______ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ -- David Muth New Orleans **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family favorites at AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) Subject: NEXRAD observed bird migration, 5-7-08 From: John Arvin <jarvin AT GCBO.ORG> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 14:04:51 -0500 Upper level winds were really ripping in the western Gulf (52 and 57 kts. at Brownsville and Corpus respectively) moderating to half that at Lake Charles and even less eastward. Bird Targets were moving in the 65 kit. range in the west and slightly less than that at Houston where upper level winds are not reported by the NWS, but must be estimated based on readings at Corpus and Lake Charles. Reports from the field indicate that migrants that were put down last Saturday by the weak front have all but completely departed coastal woodlots while inland sites are reporting excellent numbers. This is no surprise under the circumstances and will probably remain the case through the weekend (bummer, but we've been remarkably lucky for weekend fronts this spring) when the next front is forecast to move offshore about Monday. This far out forecasting a front at this late date is probably tentative at best. Whether there will be another event that could be termed a fallout this season seems unlikely, but migrants will be moving through in lesser numbers. Flycatchers, especially Empidonax and Contopus, will be dominant elements so it will give us opportunities to hone our skills on the these difficult groups. John C. Arvin Research Coordinator Gulf Coast Bird Observatory 103 W. Hwy 332 Lake Jackson, TX 77566 (979) 480-0999 Fax: (979) 480-0777 jarvin AT gcbo.org www.gcbo.org eBird.org/gcbo Subject: Re: LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record From: "Steven W. Cardiff" <scardif AT LSU.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 13:31:27 -0500 David M./Richard/Brian (labird)- I would consider "non-Acadian" Empids as easy to miss on spring big days, especially in April. We have very few hard-evidence spring records of non-Acadians from the coast (despite intensive efforts to document): only a couple of Least specimens from as early as late April; earliest Yellow-bellied specimen is 7 May, earliest "Traill's" were voice-recorded singing Willow Flycatchers 12 May. So, any coastal report of silent, non-Acadian empids from late April should be considered tentative at best. Loon, kingbird, and Bobolink aren't necessarily spring gimmees either. I would not categorize those among "worst misses." Steve Cardiff On 5/6/08 11:38 PM, "David Muth" wrote: > > I'm sure we'll hear about the worst misses, but I note no loon, Mississippi > Kite, Herring Gull, Least Tern!, non-acadian empidonax, Western Kingbird, or > Bobolink right off the bat--I'm sure I'm missing others. > > All of which means 215 is not the limit. > > Excellent job. > > David Muth > New Orleans > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Richard Gibbons" > To: > Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:57 PM > Subject: [LABIRD-L] LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record > > >> LABIRDers, >> >> The LSU Ornithology group does a big day each year to raise money for >> research projects. I can tell you that it is true when they say it is >> hard to get start up funds for field projects. I'm told once you have >> data from a pilot season and publish something, it becomes easier to >> win grants. I'm personally hoping this is true. >> >> Below is a brief summary of our route and the species list generated >> from eBird. A more complete account of the day will be sent to donors >> and posted to the Big Day website in the next week or so. >> >> In short, we had a great day and the scoter flock and migrants after >> the front made the day. It was an awesome evening seeing all the >> migrants dropping into Peveto woods. >> >> You can check out the report from last year and see the new t-shirt >> design here. >> >> www.museum.lsu.edu/bigday.html >> >> Richard Gibbons >> Baton Rouge, LA >> >> >> >> Report generated from eBird: >> >> Location: Louisiana, US >> Observation date: 4/29/07 >> >> Observers: Brian O'Shea, Gustavo Bravo, Richard Gibbons, James Maley, >> and Phred Benham >> Weather was calm and somewhat foggy in the morning with a cold front >> passing the coast around 2 PM. >> >> We started in the pineywoods of Beauregard and Calcasieu Parish, worked >> west to a sod farm >> east of Lake Charles, birded the rice country, Lacassine NWR, and then >> the coastal woodlots and beaches west to Sabine Pass. >> >> Number of species: 215 >> >> Black-bellied Whistling-Duck >> Fulvous Whistling-Duck >> Canada Goose >> Wood Duck >> Gadwall >> Mallard >> Mottled Duck >> Blue-winged Teal >> Northern Shoveler >> Northern Pintail >> Green-winged Teal >> Ring-necked Duck >> Greater Scaup >> Lesser Scaup >> Surf Scoter >> White-winged Scoter >> Black Scoter >> Hooded Merganser >> Pied-billed Grebe >> American White Pelican >> Brown Pelican >> Neotropic Cormorant >> Double-crested Cormorant >> Anhinga >> Least Bittern >> Great Blue Heron >> Great Egret >> Snowy Egret >> Little Blue Heron >> Tricolored Heron >> Cattle Egret >> Green Heron >> Black-crowned Night-Heron >> Yellow-crowned Night-Heron >> White Ibis >> Glossy Ibis >> White-faced Ibis >> Roseate Spoonbill >> Wood Stork >> Black Vulture >> Turkey Vulture >> White-tailed Kite >> Bald Eagle >> Northern Harrier >> Cooper's Hawk >> Red-shouldered Hawk >> Broad-winged Hawk >> Swainson's Hawk >> Red-tailed Hawk >> Crested Caracara >> Merlin >> Peregrine Falcon >> Clapper Rail >> King Rail >> Sora >> Purple Gallinule >> Common Moorhen >> American Coot >> Black-bellied Plover >> Snowy Plover >> Wilson's Plover >> Semipalmated Plover >> Piping Plover >> Killdeer >> American Oystercatcher >> Black-necked Stilt >> American Avocet >> Spotted Sandpiper >> Solitary Sandpiper >> Greater Yellowlegs >> Willet >> Lesser Yellowlegs >> Upland Sandpiper >> Whimbrel >> Long-billed Curlew >> Ruddy Turnstone >> Sanderling >> Semipalmated Sandpiper >> Western Sandpiper >> Least Sandpiper >> White-rumped Sandpiper >> Pectoral Sandpiper >> Dunlin >> Stilt Sandpiper >> Buff-breasted Sandpiper >> Short-billed Dowitcher >> Long-billed Dowitcher >> Wilson's Phalarope >> Laughing Gull >> Bonaparte's Gull >> Ring-billed Gull >> Gull-billed Tern >> Caspian Tern >> Black Tern >> Common Tern >> Forster's Tern >> Royal Tern >> Sandwich Tern >> Black Skimmer >> Rock Pigeon >> Eurasian Collared-Dove >> White-winged Dove >> Mourning Dove >> Inca Dove >> Yellow-billed Cuckoo >> Black-billed Cuckoo >> Barn Owl >> Eastern Screech-Owl >> Great Horned Owl >> Barred Owl >> Common Nighthawk >> Chuck-will's-widow >> Chimney Swift >> Ruby-throated Hummingbird >> Belted Kingfisher >> Red-headed Woodpecker >> Red-bellied Woodpecker >> Downy Woodpecker >> Hairy Woodpecker >> Northern Flicker >> Pileated Woodpecker >> Eastern Wood-Pewee >> Acadian Flycatcher >> Great Crested Flycatcher >> Eastern Kingbird >> Scissor-tailed Flycatcher >> Loggerhead Shrike >> White-eyed Vireo >> Yellow-throated Vireo >> Philadelphia Vireo >> Red-eyed Vireo >> Blue Jay >> American Crow >> Fish Crow >> Purple Martin >> Tree Swallow >> Northern Rough-winged Swallow >> Bank Swallow >> Cliff Swallow >> Barn Swallow >> Carolina Chickadee >> Tufted Titmouse >> Brown-headed Nuthatch >> Carolina Wren >> Sedge Wren >> Marsh Wren >> Blue-gray Gnatcatcher >> Eastern Bluebird >> Veery >> Gray-cheeked Thrush >> Swainson's Thrush >> Wood Thrush >> American Robin >> Gray Catbird >> Northern Mockingbird >> Brown Thrasher >> European Starling >> Cedar Waxwing >> Blue-winged Warbler >> Golden-winged Warbler >> Tennessee Warbler >> Northern Parula >> Yellow Warbler >> Chestnut-sided Warbler >> Magnolia Warbler >> Cape May Warbler >> Black-throated Green Warbler >> Blackburnian Warbler >> Yellow-throated Warbler >> Pine Warbler >> Prairie Warbler >> Palm Warbler >> Bay-breasted Warbler >> Blackpoll Warbler >> Cerulean Warbler >> Black-and-white Warbler >> American Redstart >> Prothonotary Warbler >> Worm-eating Warbler >> Swainson's Warbler >> Ovenbird >> Northern Waterthrush >> Kentucky Warbler >> Common Yellowthroat >> Hooded Warbler >> Yellow-breasted Chat >> Summer Tanager >> Scarlet Tanager >> Eastern Towhee >> Bachman's Sparrow >> Chipping Sparrow >> Savannah Sparrow >> Le Conte's Sparrow >> Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow >> Seaside Sparrow >> White-throated Sparrow >> White-crowned Sparrow >> Northern Cardinal >> Rose-breasted Grosbeak >> Blue Grosbeak >> Indigo Bunting >> Painted Bunting >> Dickcissel >> Red-winged Blackbird >> Eastern Meadowlark >> Common Grackle >> Boat-tailed Grackle >> Great-tailed Grackle >> Brown-headed Cowbird >> Orchard Oriole >> Baltimore Oriole >> House Finch >> House Sparrow >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _____________________________________________________________________________ >> _______ >> Be a better friend, newshound, and >> know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. >> http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ >> Subject: Re: Herring Gull splits From: "Steven W. Cardiff" <scardif AT LSU.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 13:05:08 -0500 Stefan (labird)- I agree with you that "smithsonianus" is the default Herring Gull over most of North America, so it seems pretty silly to list "Herring Gull (American)" on ebird lists, etc. You can go to the AOU website and view "species split" proposals and anonymous AOU Check-list Committee Member comments. The proposal to split American Herring Gull failed by a 2-8 vote. The proposal to split Vega Gull failed by a 4-6 vote. Steve Cardiff On 5/7/08 11:38 AM, "Woltmann, Stefan" wrote: > Hi Folks, > > Very interesting discussion about what is "countable." > > It brings up in my mind a slightly different issue I've been wondering about > lately, namely the presence of "Herring Gull (American)" on e-bird checklists. > > I'll be the first to confess that I have myself, on numerous occasions, > checked off Herring Gull (American) rather than just unadorned Herring Gull. > But more and more I find myself hesitant about that, and I've stopped doing > it. To say that what I saw was indeed an American (smithsonianus) Herring Gull > is an assumption, based on geography. I'll bet it's mostly a very safe > assumption. Other subspecies of Herring Gull do occur in North America at > times, notably vegae Herring Gulls in the Northwest. But quite honestly, I > don't think I'd know a vegae Herring Gull or a Eurasian subspecies if it were > sitting on my front porch. Some people would, but I bet many of us don't > really look closely enough at each Herring Gull to say with 100% certainty > that it is indeed an American one. > > Again, I'd be willing to bet that most, if not all of them are American > Herring Gulls. But to list each one as such implies a level of precision that > may not be there. > > Thoughts? > > Stefan > > Stefan Woltmann > Dept. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology > 400 Boggs > Tulane University > New Orleans, LA 70118 > swoltman AT tulane.edu Subject: Countability and Subspecies ID From: "Woltmann, Stefan" <swoltman AT TULANE.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 11:38:18 -0500 Hi Folks, Very interesting discussion about what is "countable." It brings up in my mind a slightly different issue I've been wondering about lately, namely the presence of "Herring Gull (American)" on e-bird checklists. I'll be the first to confess that I have myself, on numerous occasions, checked off Herring Gull (American) rather than just unadorned Herring Gull. But more and more I find myself hesitant about that, and I've stopped doing it. To say that what I saw was indeed an American (smithsonianus) Herring Gull is an assumption, based on geography. I'll bet it's mostly a very safe assumption. Other subspecies of Herring Gull do occur in North America at times, notably vegae Herring Gulls in the Northwest. But quite honestly, I don't think I'd know a vegae Herring Gull or a Eurasian subspecies if it were sitting on my front porch. Some people would, but I bet many of us don't really look closely enough at each Herring Gull to say with 100% certainty that it is indeed an American one. Again, I'd be willing to bet that most, if not all of them are American Herring Gulls. But to list each one as such implies a level of precision that may not be there. Thoughts? Stefan Stefan Woltmann Dept. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology 400 Boggs Tulane University New Orleans, LA 70118 swoltman AT tulane.edu Subject: Re: Big Day misses From: "Brian O'Shea" <boshea2 AT LSU.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 11:35:22 -0500 David/LABird - At least a couple of those were unintentionally omitted from the list posted previously. We had a "Traill's" Flycatcher at Peveto, Herring Gull at East Jetty, and Least Tern in a couple of places. But we did miss both kites (too foggy in the morning, I guess) and Bobolink, despite a grand effort to locate them. It was an outstanding day nonetheless . . . as Richard mentioned, it was amazing to watch flocks of warblers falling out of the sky into Peveto Woods, or to stand on the beach watching warblers and thrushes come in off the gulf, often just a foot or two above the water. Cheers, Brian O'Shea Baton Rouge > I'm sure we'll hear about the worst misses, but I note no loon, Mississippi > Kite, Herring Gull, Least Tern!, non-acadian empidonax, Western Kingbird, or > Bobolink right off the bat--I'm sure I'm missing others. Subject: Re: Countability of Canada Goose & summer Mallards From: "Steven W. Cardiff" <scardif AT LSU.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 10:41:37 -0500 Labird- Canada Goose status has been discussed a number of times on this forum over the past few years. It's a rather complicated and unique situation because wild Canadas occurred here historically and are legitimately on the state list, but have pretty much disappeared as a wild-occurring species. Meanwhile, Canada Geese have subsequently been deliberately introduced here, resident feral populations seem to be holding on or even flourishing in some areas, and there's apparently some evidence to suggest that feral birds can disperse fairly long distances within their introduced range in the southeastern US. More recently, the larger Canada Goose was taxonomically split from the smaller Cackling Goose, further confusing past and present status of the two forms. Again, there is little or no evidence to indicate that wild Canada Geese still occur in Louisiana. So, the assumption is that we are only seeing birds derived from introduced/feral sources. It seems doubtful that there is any gene flow occurring between our feral Canadas and potentially wild Canadas, e.g., there's no evidence that our "resident" feral birds are moving north to within the range of wild Canadas, or that wild Canadas are making it south to LA and mixing with feral birds. In my opinion, feral Canadas cannot survive without protected "refugia" such as Rockefeller Refuge, parks, golf courses, and industrial installations with lawns and ponds. In other words, the species does not seem to be expanding into and permanently occupying wild habitat. This seems to be the situation in Cameron Parish, where the introduced Canadas expand and contract from the refuge HQ "refugium." So, the debate centers on whether we consider Canada Geese as a "subsidized" species, or do we consider those protected "refugia" as part of the permanent landscape? Such considerations would also have ramifications for species such as Muscovy... I'm hoping that the LBRC will make a "ruling" on this problem in the near future. The conundrum is whether we can make the case for re-designating Canada Goose as an "Introduced" species when it's already on the list based on historical wild occurrence and could potentially still occur in the wild..... In the case of Mallard, as myself and others have pointed out, there's not a whole lot that can be done as far as countability of "resident" populations. The species is a common migrant and wintering bird in the wild, and there's some evidence that increasing numbers are remaining in LA during the summer. There probably is some gene flow between wintering birds and residents (and between Mallards and Mottled Ducks). So, I would say that Mallard countability should be on the honor system. If you see Mallards that are normally plumaged, normally shaped, and can fly, or if they are seen in "wild situations" (e.g., sitting in a ricefield, even if a potential cripple) then count them. If they can't fly, are the size of a goose, have aberrant plumage or soft parts colors, or fail the "bread test," then they should not be counted. Steve Cardiff On 5/7/08 8:46 AM, "David Muth" wrote: > Richard/Labird: > > I had to get my little dig in about Canadas and Mallard, but Big Day teams > have been counting them for years. I haven't done a soutwest La. Big Day for a > long, long time, so I guess these days I'd just follow the convention. > > It is remarkable how many species are possible or even probable now that were > real long shots 20 years ago. When I started doing Big Days I used to code > birds by the likelihood of an encounter from 1 (certain) to 5 (fantastic > luck). Black-bellied Whistling Duck, White-tailed Kite, caracara and > oystercatcher would have been 5s, Brown Pelicans in Cameron were 4s as were > Inca Dove and Swainson's Hawk. White-winged Dove was a long shot in late > April. There were, of course, no collared-doves and House Finches were still > 5s. I like to think that with those birds available, plus countable mallards > and Canadas, I'd have broken 200 a couple of times, though obviously by that > logic Cardiff, Dittmann, Parker and Remsen would have broken 210. I don't > think any species has dropped off the list of probables, though a few have > declined in abundance. > > I better stop thinking about this, or I'll be planning a 2009 Big Day. > > BTW, I think we ought to settle on a convention about countability (and, more > importantly, reportability) of "Rockerfeller" Canadas, and other Canadas and > Mallards. If we count "wild" breeding mallards in the coastal zone or along > rivers or in ag farm fields, do we also count golf course free-flying Canadas > and city park mallards, mixed with white Pekins and pie-bald Muscovies? I've > always treated them as being in seperate categories from truly wild birds, and > have tried to hold the line for the CBC, but is that truly the best course? > Input welcome. > > David Muth > New Orleans > > ---- Richard Gibbons wrote: > > ============= > David and LABIRDers, > > Good catch! I accidentally deleted Least Tern and Herring Gull from the > eBird list when cleaning it up for posting. You are right on the mark > with shorebirds and waterfowl saving the day. > > The morning was foggy so perched Mississippi Kites were not detected > on the snags as we raced southward out of their breeding range. As we > left Lake Charles without it, we knew it might well be a dip. We found > what was probably a "Traill's" Flycatcher in Peveto, but without a call > note or better look, we decided it was best to leave it off. > > The Mallards and Rockefeller Canada Geese are sloppy and maybe just > unacceptable. I'd be interested to hear what others think. I'm falling > in line with the past LSU Big Days which I was able to consult and they > counted them. > > We did not use the 5 minute rule with Red-cockaded Woodpecker as this > is a World Series of Birding rule that was worked in at some point in > the past and it just seemed too sloppy. > > The LeConte's was kicked up during a comfort stop alongside a rice > field. We flushed it three more times to get a good look. > > A scouted Eared Grebe from two days before in Lake Charles and many > other misses suggests a bigger day is well within reach. If you look at > the Lyon et al. list, you see there are several species the other team > missed. It might be worth doing a thorough information share session > next year for any group interested in making a run at 220. > > 215 is certainly not the limit. If Kansas can get 225, I'm pretty sure > Louisiana can get 226. > > There's always next year! > > > Richard Gibbons > Baton Rouge, LA > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________________ > ______ > Be a better friend, newshound, and > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ > > -- > David Muth > New Orleans Subject: Re: LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record From: Peter H Yaukey <PYaukey AT UNO.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 09:26:39 -0500 Dave and LAbird- Sheesh, who would have thought a 209 and a 215 in the same year. The ante is being upped. This is great stuff! Peter Yaukey -----Original Message----- From: Bulletin Board for Dissemination of Information on Louisiana Birds [mailto:LABIRD-L AT LISTSERV.LSU.EDU] On Behalf Of David Muth Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 11:39 PM To: LABIRD-L AT LISTSERV.LSU.EDU Subject: Re: [LABIRD-L] LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record Labird: Congratulations to both 200+ teams. Having never gotten past the mid 190s I know what an accomplishment 208 and 215 are. What strikes me about both lists is the near absence of rare birds. The late scoter flock is a real find, and White-winged remains rare, but late scoters are not unprecedented. Indeed, Ken and Gary Rosenberg and I had all three scoters in a Holly Beach flock with, as I recall, L. Scaup and merganser on a late April big day attempt many moons ago. Picking up 30 species of shorebird (but no Golden Plover, godwit or Baird's), 26 warblers (including Cape May and late Palm) and eight sparrows (including LeConte's) make for a solid heart of a Big Day, but the 18 ducks and geese, including the scoters and Greater Scaup, are what made this a record run (along with the fallout), in my opinion. Of course, in the old days we did not count introduced Canadas and mallards (just sayin'), but even without them that is a remarkable run, presumably the result of good scouting. Ring-necked strikes me as most unexpected of all. I'm sure we'll hear about the worst misses, but I note no loon, Mississippi Kite, Herring Gull, Least Tern!, non-acadian empidonax, Western Kingbird, or Bobolink right off the bat--I'm sure I'm missing others. All of which means 215 is not the limit. Excellent job. David Muth New Orleans ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Gibbons" To: Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:57 PM Subject: [LABIRD-L] LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record > LABIRDers, > > The LSU Ornithology group does a big day each year to raise money for > research projects. I can tell you that it is true when they say it is > hard to get start up funds for field projects. I'm told once you have > data from a pilot season and publish something, it becomes easier to > win grants. I'm personally hoping this is true. > > Below is a brief summary of our route and the species list generated > from eBird. A more complete account of the day will be sent to donors > and posted to the Big Day website in the next week or so. > > In short, we had a great day and the scoter flock and migrants after > the front made the day. It was an awesome evening seeing all the > migrants dropping into Peveto woods. > > You can check out the report from last year and see the new t-shirt > design here. > > www.museum.lsu.edu/bigday.html > > Richard Gibbons > Baton Rouge, LA > > > > Report generated from eBird: > > Location: Louisiana, US > Observation date: 4/29/07 > > Observers: Brian O'Shea, Gustavo Bravo, Richard Gibbons, James Maley, > and Phred Benham > Weather was calm and somewhat foggy in the morning with a cold front > passing the coast around 2 PM. > > We started in the pineywoods of Beauregard and Calcasieu Parish, worked > west to a sod farm > east of Lake Charles, birded the rice country, Lacassine NWR, and then > the coastal woodlots and beaches west to Sabine Pass. > > Number of species: 215 > > Black-bellied Whistling-Duck > Fulvous Whistling-Duck > Canada Goose > Wood Duck > Gadwall > Mallard > Mottled Duck > Blue-winged Teal > Northern Shoveler > Northern Pintail > Green-winged Teal > Ring-necked Duck > Greater Scaup > Lesser Scaup > Surf Scoter > White-winged Scoter > Black Scoter > Hooded Merganser > Pied-billed Grebe > American White Pelican > Brown Pelican > Neotropic Cormorant > Double-crested Cormorant > Anhinga > Least Bittern > Great Blue Heron > Great Egret > Snowy Egret > Little Blue Heron > Tricolored Heron > Cattle Egret > Green Heron > Black-crowned Night-Heron > Yellow-crowned Night-Heron > White Ibis > Glossy Ibis > White-faced Ibis > Roseate Spoonbill > Wood Stork > Black Vulture > Turkey Vulture > White-tailed Kite > Bald Eagle > Northern Harrier > Cooper's Hawk > Red-shouldered Hawk > Broad-winged Hawk > Swainson's Hawk > Red-tailed Hawk > Crested Caracara > Merlin > Peregrine Falcon > Clapper Rail > King Rail > Sora > Purple Gallinule > Common Moorhen > American Coot > Black-bellied Plover > Snowy Plover > Wilson's Plover > Semipalmated Plover > Piping Plover > Killdeer > American Oystercatcher > Black-necked Stilt > American Avocet > Spotted Sandpiper > Solitary Sandpiper > Greater Yellowlegs > Willet > Lesser Yellowlegs > Upland Sandpiper > Whimbrel > Long-billed Curlew > Ruddy Turnstone > Sanderling > Semipalmated Sandpiper > Western Sandpiper > Least Sandpiper > White-rumped Sandpiper > Pectoral Sandpiper > Dunlin > Stilt Sandpiper > Buff-breasted Sandpiper > Short-billed Dowitcher > Long-billed Dowitcher > Wilson's Phalarope > Laughing Gull > Bonaparte's Gull > Ring-billed Gull > Gull-billed Tern > Caspian Tern > Black Tern > Common Tern > Forster's Tern > Royal Tern > Sandwich Tern > Black Skimmer > Rock Pigeon > Eurasian Collared-Dove > White-winged Dove > Mourning Dove > Inca Dove > Yellow-billed Cuckoo > Black-billed Cuckoo > Barn Owl > Eastern Screech-Owl > Great Horned Owl > Barred Owl > Common Nighthawk > Chuck-will's-widow > Chimney Swift > Ruby-throated Hummingbird > Belted Kingfisher > Red-headed Woodpecker > Red-bellied Woodpecker > Downy Woodpecker > Hairy Woodpecker > Northern Flicker > Pileated Woodpecker > Eastern Wood-Pewee > Acadian Flycatcher > Great Crested Flycatcher > Eastern Kingbird > Scissor-tailed Flycatcher > Loggerhead Shrike > White-eyed Vireo > Yellow-throated Vireo > Philadelphia Vireo > Red-eyed Vireo > Blue Jay > American Crow > Fish Crow > Purple Martin > Tree Swallow > Northern Rough-winged Swallow > Bank Swallow > Cliff Swallow > Barn Swallow > Carolina Chickadee > Tufted Titmouse > Brown-headed Nuthatch > Carolina Wren > Sedge Wren > Marsh Wren > Blue-gray Gnatcatcher > Eastern Bluebird > Veery > Gray-cheeked Thrush > Swainson's Thrush > Wood Thrush > American Robin > Gray Catbird > Northern Mockingbird > Brown Thrasher > European Starling > Cedar Waxwing > Blue-winged Warbler > Golden-winged Warbler > Tennessee Warbler > Northern Parula > Yellow Warbler > Chestnut-sided Warbler > Magnolia Warbler > Cape May Warbler > Black-throated Green Warbler > Blackburnian Warbler > Yellow-throated Warbler > Pine Warbler > Prairie Warbler > Palm Warbler > Bay-breasted Warbler > Blackpoll Warbler > Cerulean Warbler > Black-and-white Warbler > American Redstart > Prothonotary Warbler > Worm-eating Warbler > Swainson's Warbler > Ovenbird > Northern Waterthrush > Kentucky Warbler > Common Yellowthroat > Hooded Warbler > Yellow-breasted Chat > Summer Tanager > Scarlet Tanager > Eastern Towhee > Bachman's Sparrow > Chipping Sparrow > Savannah Sparrow > Le Conte's Sparrow > Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow > Seaside Sparrow > White-throated Sparrow > White-crowned Sparrow > Northern Cardinal > Rose-breasted Grosbeak > Blue Grosbeak > Indigo Bunting > Painted Bunting > Dickcissel > Red-winged Blackbird > Eastern Meadowlark > Common Grackle > Boat-tailed Grackle > Great-tailed Grackle > Brown-headed Cowbird > Orchard Oriole > Baltimore Oriole > House Finch > House Sparrow > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ ______________ > Be a better friend, newshound, and > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ > Subject: Also This Saturday--IBA Dedication at Sherburne! From: Jacoulson AT AOL.COM Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 10:17:19 EDT Join us for the first Louisiana Important Bird Area Recognition Ceremony! We invite you to attend the dedication of the Atchafalaya Basin as in Important Bird Area (IBA) on Saturday, May 10th at 1:30 p.m. on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), and the National Audubon Society (NAS). The ceremony will take place at the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area headquarters located on Whiskey Bay Road south of Krotz Springs. The ceremony will be part of Step Outside Day, an outdoors day held annually by the USFWS. Speakers at the ceremony will include Danny Breaux, USFWS, Neil Lalonde, USACE, XXXX, LDWF, and Paul Kemp, NAS. The Atchafalaya Basin is the largest contiguous tract of bottomland hardwood forest in the United States. It is comprised of hardwoods, marshes, bayous, and cypress stands and is home to over 260 bird species. This site supports globally important concentrations of Painted Buntings during migration and breeding season and of White Ibis year-round. It is also a migratory stopover for globally significant population of Wood Storks and American White Pelicans during fall migration. The site is also of continental importance for Little Blue Herons and Roseate Spoonbills, and is an important breeding ground for Prothonotary Warblers, commonly known as the Swamp Warbler. Many other birds are found commonly in the Basin, including ducks, shorebirds, and other wading birds. The Atchafalaya Basin is also an important migratory corridor for Neotropical migrant songbirds, and holds an unusually high density of breeding forest birds, such as vireos, wrens, warblers, and flycatchers. Come out on May 10th for the Neotropical Migratory Songbird Tour, and stay for the Atchafalaya Basin IBA dedication. You may have a chance to see impressive raptors such as the striking Swallow-tailed Kite or Bald Eagles. Look for colorful Summer Tanagers, Painted Buntings, and Hooded Warblers. And come learn a little more about one of America’s last great river swamps, a national treasure for us, and a site of vital importance to birds! Melanie Driscoll Coordinator, Louisiana IBA Program Louisiana Bird Resource Center LSU Museum of Natural Science 119 Foster Hall Baton Rouge, LA 70803 work: 225-578-3116 cell: 225-938-7209 mdriscoll AT audubon.org **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family favorites at AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) Subject: Re: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List From: David Muth <dpmuth AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 09:46:39 -0400 Richard/Labird: I had to get my little dig in about Canadas and Mallard, but Big Day teams have been counting them for years. I haven't done a soutwest La. Big Day for a long, long time, so I guess these days I'd just follow the convention. It is remarkable how many species are possible or even probable now that were real long shots 20 years ago. When I started doing Big Days I used to code birds by the likelihood of an encounter from 1 (certain) to 5 (fantastic luck). Black-bellied Whistling Duck, White-tailed Kite, caracara and oystercatcher would have been 5s, Brown Pelicans in Cameron were 4s as were Inca Dove and Swainson's Hawk. White-winged Dove was a long shot in late April. There were, of course, no collared-doves and House Finches were still 5s. I like to think that with those birds available, plus countable mallards and Canadas, I'd have broken 200 a couple of times, though obviously by that logic Cardiff, Dittmann, Parker and Remsen would have broken 210. I don't think any species has dropped off the list of probables, though a few have declined in abundance. I better stop thinking about this, or I'll be planning a 2009 Big Day. BTW, I think we ought to settle on a convention about countability (and, more importantly, reportability) of "Rockerfeller" Canadas, and other Canadas and Mallards. If we count "wild" breeding mallards in the coastal zone or along rivers or in ag farm fields, do we also count golf course free-flying Canadas and city park mallards, mixed with white Pekins and pie-bald Muscovies? I've always treated them as being in seperate categories from truly wild birds, and have tried to hold the line for the CBC, but is that truly the best course? Input welcome. David Muth New Orleans ---- Richard Gibbons wrote: ============= David and LABIRDers, Good catch! I accidentally deleted Least Tern and Herring Gull from the eBird list when cleaning it up for posting. You are right on the mark with shorebirds and waterfowl saving the day. The morning was foggy so perched Mississippi Kites were not detected on the snags as we raced southward out of their breeding range. As we left Lake Charles without it, we knew it might well be a dip. We found what was probably a "Traill's" Flycatcher in Peveto, but without a call note or better look, we decided it was best to leave it off. The Mallards and Rockefeller Canada Geese are sloppy and maybe just unacceptable. I'd be interested to hear what others think. I'm falling in line with the past LSU Big Days which I was able to consult and they counted them. We did not use the 5 minute rule with Red-cockaded Woodpecker as this is a World Series of Birding rule that was worked in at some point in the past and it just seemed too sloppy. The LeConte's was kicked up during a comfort stop alongside a rice field. We flushed it three more times to get a good look. A scouted Eared Grebe from two days before in Lake Charles and many other misses suggests a bigger day is well within reach. If you look at the Lyon et al. list, you see there are several species the other team missed. It might be worth doing a thorough information share session next year for any group interested in making a run at 220. 215 is certainly not the limit. If Kansas can get 225, I'm pretty sure Louisiana can get 226. There's always next year! Richard Gibbons Baton Rouge, LA ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ -- David Muth New Orleans Subject: Recent CENLA Birds From: Huner Jay V <jvh0660 AT LOUISIANA.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 07:42:45 -0500 There are three comprehensive parish bird lists - Acadia, Rapides, and St. Martin, all the result of Marty Floyd's efforts. I use these parish lists to help me decide whether or not to submit 3x5 cards. Recent "Reportable" birds based on the Rapides list are: - Common Loon - 20-30' away from my bulkhead the other day! - Bald Eagle - Common Tern - No, I am NOT mistaking it for a Forster's Tern! - Alder Flycatcher - White-breasted Nuthatch - "yanking" up a storm and apparently breeding. No, I've seen the birds and they are not "late" Red-breasted Nuthatches. This is the third spring that I've had the birds here and, for now, this location is the southermost documentation of breeding of the species in Louisiana to the BEST of my knowledge. - Tennessee Warbler - Blackpoll Warbler I realize that the flycatcher and warblers would be "expected" to pass through the area in migration. But, there are next to no records! Also, eagles are "ho hum" now; however, their current breeding status here was not noted by Floyd, Breedlove, and Cummings (2000) who considered the birds to be Rare winter birds. And, the loon is not really a surprise but until 2002 or 2003, no loons had been reported from Rapides Parish. I think that Jim Johnson had the first loon at the reservoir at Woodworth the year before I reported one at Cotile Lake, but it was never clear if he submitted a 3x5 card. Knowing what an astute birder Jim is, I am sure that he recognized the uniqueness of his observation and documented it. And, for what it's worth, I am seeing a few suspicious Tree Swallows suggesting that they will or are breeding around here for the third year in a row. Jay Huner Subject: Mallard/Canada Goose - Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List From: Huner Jay V <jvh0660 AT LOUISIANA.EDU> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 07:28:19 -0500 > > The Mallards and Rockefeller Canada Geese are sloppy and maybe just > unacceptable. I'd be interested to hear what others think. I'm > falling in line with the past LSU Big Days which I was able to > consult and they counted them. My attitude is that if they can fly and interact with other birds of the same species then there is "gene flow". How many Mallards and Canadas from "up North" visit and stay with their more sedentary Louisiana relatives? About the only way to know is do chromosome work and see how much gene flow is occurring. The chances of securing the funds to do this is slim and none? Wonder how much gene flow there is between the area Mallard flock and the area Mottled Ducks?! I can assure anyone who is not a hunter that when ducks and geese are legal game, the hunters don't watch to decide if they are shooting a "feral" duck or goose! Since this "might" be a "positive" thread on LABIRD, does anyone know how it is that Muscovy is now "countable" in Florida? Based on my experience in southern Florida, both Hill and Common Mynas are apparently more numerous and breeding on a more sustainable basis than Red-whiskered Bulbuls. I'm guessing that one can encounter Muscovys all over the place in Florida. I've never seen a Muscovy come into decoys in Louisiana so, except for "parks", they don't seem to have a "wild" breeding presence in our state. Regards, Jay Huner Subject: Deleted Species and Comments from LSU Big Day List From: Richard Gibbons <rgibbo3 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 05:06:25 -0700 David and LABIRDers, Good catch! I accidentally deleted Least Tern and Herring Gull from the eBird list when cleaning it up for posting. You are right on the mark with shorebirds and waterfowl saving the day. The morning was foggy so perched Mississippi Kites were not detected on the snags as we raced southward out of their breeding range. As we left Lake Charles without it, we knew it might well be a dip. We found what was probably a "Traill's" Flycatcher in Peveto, but without a call note or better look, we decided it was best to leave it off. The Mallards and Rockefeller Canada Geese are sloppy and maybe just unacceptable. I'd be interested to hear what others think. I'm falling in line with the past LSU Big Days which I was able to consult and they counted them. We did not use the 5 minute rule with Red-cockaded Woodpecker as this is a World Series of Birding rule that was worked in at some point in the past and it just seemed too sloppy. The LeConte's was kicked up during a comfort stop alongside a rice field. We flushed it three more times to get a good look. A scouted Eared Grebe from two days before in Lake Charles and many other misses suggests a bigger day is well within reach. If you look at the Lyon et al. list, you see there are several species the other team missed. It might be worth doing a thorough information share session next year for any group interested in making a run at 220. 215 is certainly not the limit. If Kansas can get 225, I'm pretty sure Louisiana can get 226. There's always next year! Richard Gibbons Baton Rouge, LA ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Subject: Re: LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record From: David Muth <dpmuth AT COX.NET> Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 23:38:36 -0500 Labird: Congratulations to both 200+ teams. Having never gotten past the mid 190s I know what an accomplishment 208 and 215 are. What strikes me about both lists is the near absence of rare birds. The late scoter flock is a real find, and White-winged remains rare, but late scoters are not unprecedented. Indeed, Ken and Gary Rosenberg and I had all three scoters in a Holly Beach flock with, as I recall, L. Scaup and merganser on a late April big day attempt many moons ago. Picking up 30 species of shorebird (but no Golden Plover, godwit or Baird's), 26 warblers (including Cape May and late Palm) and eight sparrows (including LeConte's) make for a solid heart of a Big Day, but the 18 ducks and geese, including the scoters and Greater Scaup, are what made this a record run (along with the fallout), in my opinion. Of course, in the old days we did not count introduced Canadas and mallards (just sayin'), but even without them that is a remarkable run, presumably the result of good scouting. Ring-necked strikes me as most unexpected of all. I'm sure we'll hear about the worst misses, but I note no loon, Mississippi Kite, Herring Gull, Least Tern!, non-acadian empidonax, Western Kingbird, or Bobolink right off the bat--I'm sure I'm missing others. All of which means 215 is not the limit. Excellent job. David Muth New Orleans ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Gibbons" To: Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:57 PM Subject: [LABIRD-L] LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record > LABIRDers, > > The LSU Ornithology group does a big day each year to raise money for > research projects. I can tell you that it is true when they say it is > hard to get start up funds for field projects. I'm told once you have > data from a pilot season and publish something, it becomes easier to > win grants. I'm personally hoping this is true. > > Below is a brief summary of our route and the species list generated > from eBird. A more complete account of the day will be sent to donors > and posted to the Big Day website in the next week or so. > > In short, we had a great day and the scoter flock and migrants after > the front made the day. It was an awesome evening seeing all the > migrants dropping into Peveto woods. > > You can check out the report from last year and see the new t-shirt > design here. > > www.museum.lsu.edu/bigday.html > > Richard Gibbons > Baton Rouge, LA > > > > Report generated from eBird: > > Location: Louisiana, US > Observation date: 4/29/07 > > Observers: Brian O'Shea, Gustavo Bravo, Richard Gibbons, James Maley, > and Phred Benham > Weather was calm and somewhat foggy in the morning with a cold front > passing the coast around 2 PM. > > We started in the pineywoods of Beauregard and Calcasieu Parish, worked > west to a sod farm > east of Lake Charles, birded the rice country, Lacassine NWR, and then > the coastal woodlots and beaches west to Sabine Pass. > > Number of species: 215 > > Black-bellied Whistling-Duck > Fulvous Whistling-Duck > Canada Goose > Wood Duck > Gadwall > Mallard > Mottled Duck > Blue-winged Teal > Northern Shoveler > Northern Pintail > Green-winged Teal > Ring-necked Duck > Greater Scaup > Lesser Scaup > Surf Scoter > White-winged Scoter > Black Scoter > Hooded Merganser > Pied-billed Grebe > American White Pelican > Brown Pelican > Neotropic Cormorant > Double-crested Cormorant > Anhinga > Least Bittern > Great Blue Heron > Great Egret > Snowy Egret > Little Blue Heron > Tricolored Heron > Cattle Egret > Green Heron > Black-crowned Night-Heron > Yellow-crowned Night-Heron > White Ibis > Glossy Ibis > White-faced Ibis > Roseate Spoonbill > Wood Stork > Black Vulture > Turkey Vulture > White-tailed Kite > Bald Eagle > Northern Harrier > Cooper's Hawk > Red-shouldered Hawk > Broad-winged Hawk > Swainson's Hawk > Red-tailed Hawk > Crested Caracara > Merlin > Peregrine Falcon > Clapper Rail > King Rail > Sora > Purple Gallinule > Common Moorhen > American Coot > Black-bellied Plover > Snowy Plover > Wilson's Plover > Semipalmated Plover > Piping Plover > Killdeer > American Oystercatcher > Black-necked Stilt > American Avocet > Spotted Sandpiper > Solitary Sandpiper > Greater Yellowlegs > Willet > Lesser Yellowlegs > Upland Sandpiper > Whimbrel > Long-billed Curlew > Ruddy Turnstone > Sanderling > Semipalmated Sandpiper > Western Sandpiper > Least Sandpiper > White-rumped Sandpiper > Pectoral Sandpiper > Dunlin > Stilt Sandpiper > Buff-breasted Sandpiper > Short-billed Dowitcher > Long-billed Dowitcher > Wilson's Phalarope > Laughing Gull > Bonaparte's Gull > Ring-billed Gull > Gull-billed Tern > Caspian Tern > Black Tern > Common Tern > Forster's Tern > Royal Tern > Sandwich Tern > Black Skimmer > Rock Pigeon > Eurasian Collared-Dove > White-winged Dove > Mourning Dove > Inca Dove > Yellow-billed Cuckoo > Black-billed Cuckoo > Barn Owl > Eastern Screech-Owl > Great Horned Owl > Barred Owl > Common Nighthawk > Chuck-will's-widow > Chimney Swift > Ruby-throated Hummingbird > Belted Kingfisher > Red-headed Woodpecker > Red-bellied Woodpecker > Downy Woodpecker > Hairy Woodpecker > Northern Flicker > Pileated Woodpecker > Eastern Wood-Pewee > Acadian Flycatcher > Great Crested Flycatcher > Eastern Kingbird > Scissor-tailed Flycatcher > Loggerhead Shrike > White-eyed Vireo > Yellow-throated Vireo > Philadelphia Vireo > Red-eyed Vireo > Blue Jay > American Crow > Fish Crow > Purple Martin > Tree Swallow > Northern Rough-winged Swallow > Bank Swallow > Cliff Swallow > Barn Swallow > Carolina Chickadee > Tufted Titmouse > Brown-headed Nuthatch > Carolina Wren > Sedge Wren > Marsh Wren > Blue-gray Gnatcatcher > Eastern Bluebird > Veery > Gray-cheeked Thrush > Swainson's Thrush > Wood Thrush > American Robin > Gray Catbird > Northern Mockingbird > Brown Thrasher > European Starling > Cedar Waxwing > Blue-winged Warbler > Golden-winged Warbler > Tennessee Warbler > Northern Parula > Yellow Warbler > Chestnut-sided Warbler > Magnolia Warbler > Cape May Warbler > Black-throated Green Warbler > Blackburnian Warbler > Yellow-throated Warbler > Pine Warbler > Prairie Warbler > Palm Warbler > Bay-breasted Warbler > Blackpoll Warbler > Cerulean Warbler > Black-and-white Warbler > American Redstart > Prothonotary Warbler > Worm-eating Warbler > Swainson's Warbler > Ovenbird > Northern Waterthrush > Kentucky Warbler > Common Yellowthroat > Hooded Warbler > Yellow-breasted Chat > Summer Tanager > Scarlet Tanager > Eastern Towhee > Bachman's Sparrow > Chipping Sparrow > Savannah Sparrow > Le Conte's Sparrow > Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow > Seaside Sparrow > White-throated Sparrow > White-crowned Sparrow > Northern Cardinal > Rose-breasted Grosbeak > Blue Grosbeak > Indigo Bunting > Painted Bunting > Dickcissel > Red-winged Blackbird > Eastern Meadowlark > Common Grackle > Boat-tailed Grackle > Great-tailed Grackle > Brown-headed Cowbird > Orchard Oriole > Baltimore Oriole > House Finch > House Sparrow > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Be a better friend, newshound, and > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ > Subject: Corrections to LSU Big Day Post From: Richard Gibbons <rgibbo3 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 20:25:11 -0700 Sorry y'all. The year was 2008, not 2007. I've edited the original entry in eBird. Also, the report from last year hasn't been transferred to the new website yet. So if you want to read it, it will be up sometime in the next week or so. Richard Gibbons Baton Rouge, LA ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Subject: LSU Big Day Sets New Louisiana Record From: Richard Gibbons <rgibbo3 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 19:57:05 -0700 LABIRDers, The LSU Ornithology group does a big day each year to raise money for research projects. I can tell you that it is true when they say it is hard to get start up funds for field projects. I'm told once you have data from a pilot season and publish something, it becomes easier to win grants. I'm personally hoping this is true. Below is a brief summary of our route and the species list generated from eBird. A more complete account of the day will be sent to donors and posted to the Big Day website in the next week or so. In short, we had a great day and the scoter flock and migrants after the front made the day. It was an awesome evening seeing all the migrants dropping into Peveto woods. You can check out the report from last year and see the new t-shirt design here. www.museum.lsu.edu/bigday.html Richard Gibbons Baton Rouge, LA Report generated from eBird: Location: Louisiana, US Observation date: 4/29/07 Observers: Brian O'Shea, Gustavo Bravo, Richard Gibbons, James Maley, and Phred Benham Weather was calm and somewhat foggy in the morning with a cold front passing the coast around 2 PM. We started in the pineywoods of Beauregard and Calcasieu Parish, worked west to a sod farm east of Lake Charles, birded the rice country, Lacassine NWR, and then the coastal woodlots and beaches west to Sabine Pass. Number of species: 215 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Fulvous Whistling-Duck Canada Goose Wood Duck Gadwall Mallard Mottled Duck Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Hooded Merganser Pied-billed Grebe American White Pelican Brown Pelican Neotropic Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant Anhinga Least Bittern Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Little