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Index of Subjects ------=_Part_43643_13713227.1225822013541 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Hi, Without a committee there could potentially be some controversial or marginal records. So an official committee of experts sounds good :) To me, a confirmed record could only be made under one of two circumstances: (1) Hard evidence - say an unequivocal photograph, or having the bird in hand (dead or alive). (2) A detailed eye witness account from an observer familiar with the species. I guess records not meeting these criteria would fall under some heading like 'possible records', resulting in two lists. But would anyone really care about the contents of the 'possible' list? Certainly a visiting birder will not be coming to Nova Scotia any time in the hopes of adding Eskimo Curlew to his/her life list. The ramblings of a foggy mind. Bruce On Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 1:20 PM, Richard Stern <sternrichard@gmail.com>wrote: > Hi, > > Just for the record (!), I'm not sure what "a confirmed record" for NS > comprises, as far as rarities are concerned. Up to now there has been no > Records Committee to vet rarities, although there is now one still in its > infancy. Whose job is it to "confirm" a record anyway? > > Records have of course been reported for years to NS Birds, but more often > than not with the dreaded "no details". There are various check-lists of > birds that include birds that may occcur in NS, including the NSBS printed > one, one incorporated by Tony White into Avisys, the birds listed in Tufts, > the birds listed in one of the appendices in Blake Maybank's book, etc. > etc. Other Provinces and states have "official" lists, that often include > "sight only, hypothetical, etc. records. NS still doesn't really have one. > > Anyone really interested in this subject (which is rather esoteric and > pointless to some, and of great importance to others) should try and get > hold of the British Birds Rarities Committee Annual Reports, and see how > they handle this stuff. Here in NS the birding community is small enough, > and peoples' sensitivities are great enough, that we should avoid alienating > people by insisting on information that may not be reasonably available - > after all, birding is supposed to be enjoyable and fun - isn't it? > > Anyway, I hope the mystery Halifax bird turns out to be a Tufted Titmouse! > > Richard > > On Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 11:51 AM, Brian Dalzell <aythya@nb.sympatico.ca>wrote: > >> Didn't know there was a confirmed record for NS. Details anyone? >> >> ------------------- >> >> Andrew Horn wrote: >> >>> Hi all, >>> >>> A friend living just off St Margaret's Bay Road just uphill from the >>> Armdale Rotary in Halifax briefly saw a small crested bird in her yard last >>> week that she tentatively decided was a Tufted Titmouse. >>> >>> Since there's been only one Nova Scotian record ever, and the details of >>> this sighting are, well, not too detailed, it probably was something else. >>> However, the bird was travelling with chickadees and the observer, while not >>> conversant with North American birds, is aware of the other possibilities. >>> So anyone with feeders in the area or that's wandering through might keep >>> half an eye (and ear) out. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> Andy Horn >>> Halifax >>> >>> >>> >> > > > -- > ################# > Richard Stern, > 317 Middle Dyke Rd. > Port Williams, NS, Canada > B0P 1T0 > sternrichard@gmail.com > ################### > -- Bruce Stevens Maryvale, NS ------=_Part_43643_13713227.1225822013541 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Hi,<br><br>Without a committee there could potentially be some controversial or marginal records. So an official committee of experts sounds good :)<br><br>To me, a confirmed record could only be made under one of two circumstances:<br> <br>(1) Hard evidence - say an unequivocal photograph, or having the bird in hand (dead or alive).<br>(2) A detailed eye witness account from an observer familiar with the species.<br><br>I guess records not meeting these criteria would fall under some heading like 'possible records', resulting in two lists. But would anyone really care about the contents of the 'possible' list? Certainly a visiting birder will not be coming to Nova Scotia any time in the hopes of adding Eskimo Curlew to his/her life list.<br> <br>The ramblings of a foggy mind.<br><br>Bruce<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 1:20 PM, Richard Stern <span dir="ltr"><sternrichard@gmail.com></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div>Hi,</div> <div> </div> <div>Just for the record (!), I'm not sure what "a confirmed record" for NS comprises, as far as rarities are concerned. Up to now there has been no Records Committee to vet rarities, although there is now one still in its infancy. Whose job is it to "confirm" a record anyway?</div> <div> </div> <div>Records have of course been reported for years to NS Birds, but more often than not with the dreaded "no details". There are various check-lists of birds that include birds that may occcur in NS, including the NSBS printed one, one incorporated by Tony White into Avisys, the birds listed in Tufts, the birds listed in one of the appendices in Blake Maybank's book, etc. etc. Other Provinces and states have "official" lists, that often include "sight only, hypothetical, etc. records. NS still doesn't really have one. </div> <div> </div> <div>Anyone really interested in this subject (which is rather esoteric and pointless to some, and of great importance to others) should try and get hold of the British Birds Rarities Committee Annual Reports, and see how they handle this stuff. Here in NS the birding community is small enough, and peoples' sensitivities are great enough, that we should avoid alienating people by insisting on information that may not be reasonably available - after all, birding is supposed to be enjoyable and fun - isn't it?</div> <div> </div> <div>Anyway, I hope the mystery Halifax bird turns out to be a Tufted Titmouse!</div> <div> </div> <div>Richard<br><br></div> <div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 11:51 AM, Brian Dalzell <span dir="ltr"><aythya@nb.sympatico.ca></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Didn't know there was a confirmed record for NS. Details anyone?<br><br>-------------------<br> <br>Andrew Horn wrote:<br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Hi all,<br><br>A friend living just off St Margaret's Bay Road just uphill from the Armdale Rotary in Halifax briefly saw a small crested bird in her yard last week that she tentatively decided was a Tufted Titmouse.<br> <br>Since there's been only one Nova Scotian record ever, and the details of this sighting are, well, not too detailed, it probably was something else. However, the bird was travelling with chickadees and the observer, while not conversant with North American birds, is aware of the other possibilities. So anyone with feeders in the area or that's wandering through might keep half an eye (and ear) out.<br> <br>Cheers,<br>Andy Horn<br>Halifax<br><br><br></blockquote><br></blockquote></div><font color="#888888"><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>#################<br>Richard Stern, <br>317 Middle Dyke Rd.<br>Port Williams, NS, Canada<br> B0P 1T0<br>sternrichard@gmail.com<br> ###################<br> </font></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Bruce Stevens<br>Maryvale, NS<br> ------=_Part_43643_13713227.1225822013541--
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