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[Thanatopsis].<BR></BLOCKQUOTE&g
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My 2 cents worth on this issue:
When you saw your first wedding cake ("where is he going with this..." -
bear with me, I'm feverish), you likely thought, "That's a HUGE cake."
despite it being perhaps only three tiers with the upper one being a
single-serving size for the stoutly-built best man. And you may have told a
lot of people about the HUGE cake that you saw...and only when you saw a
six-tier, fit-for-royalty cake did you attenuate your thoughts about that
first "huge" cake.
My gut feeling (not to propagate the food analogy), is that people who see
their first Horned or Barred Owl see those facial discs and say, "Wow, those
are huge." simply because they have no context in which to compare them. A
good friend made this mistake once with a Horned Owl and reported it as a GG
Owl to me; the feather tufts were not obvious to him at the time (I forget
if it was branches in the way or something like that).
I think it wise for everyone to be open to reports of these birds, but very
skeptical (politely so!). The latest Tufts records only two specimens taken
and one "well-studied" (but confirmed?) in 1976. I am unaware of any
confirmed records during my 22 years here, though two other friends swear up
and down that they each saw one.
It's tough being a birder sometimes...faced with reports of very unlikely
birds and the inevitable looks of "why don't you believe me?"
Randy
First Redpoll at my feeder two days ago.
_________________________________
RF Lauff
Way in the boonies of
Antigonish County, NS.
On 25 December 2010 18:17, Bob McDonald <bobathome@hfx.eastlink.ca> wrote:
> I don't think that the observation was made this past summer. I recall
> speaking to these folks over the phone several years back but not sure how
> or why they contacted me. I'm pretty sure that I called Ian about the
> likelihood of this actually being a GGOW at the time but we were both
> undecided. The timing of the report doesn't seem quite right - I've seen
> GGOW on a couple of occasions but always during the winter near Montreal
> where there are occasional "eruptions" of this species. Their description
> however was pretty convincing. Guess that we'll never know regarding this
> report.
>
> I did ask them to call me if they ever saw it again but never did hear back
> from them.
>
> Best wishes for a Happy Festive Season and lots of good birds in 2011!!
>
> Bob McDonald
> Halifax
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* P.L. Chalmers <plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca>
> *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 23, 2010 5:40 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [NatureNS] Re: CBC Radio Noon - putative Gr. Gray Owl
>
> Just so that no-one is anxious about missing a chance to see this bird, it
> should be noted that the caller was *not* reporting a recent sighting -
> she saw it months ago.
>
> Patricia L. Chalmers
> Halifax
>
>
> At 05:13 PM 23/12/2010, you wrote:
>
> Wayne et alia:
>
> I didn't write down her name and phone number, although it was on
> screen as we responded. We get a lot of oddly described and
> unidentifiable birds on the phone-in and, in my opinion, it is risky
> to accept an even a reasonable description of an extreme rarity
> through that medium. Nevertheless, I am trying to trace the caller via
> CBC.
>
> Cheers, Ian
> Ian McLaren
>
> Quoting "Wayne P. Neily" <neilyornis@hotmail.com>:
>
>
> Hello all,
>
> Enjoyed your hour of radio birding as usual. Did you or any of the
> listeners on this list catch the full name or location of the
> observer of what sounded like a good Great Grey Owl record? It
> would be useful to document this for its distributional value.
>
>
>
> Wayne P. Neily
>
> Tremont, Kings Co., Nova Scotia
>
>
> "Go forth, under the open sky, and list
> To Nature's teachings." - William Cullen Bryant, 1817 [Thanatopsis].
>
>
>
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My 2 cents worth on this issue:<div><br></div><div>When you saw your first =
wedding cake ("where is he going with this..." - bear with me, I&=
#39;m feverish), you likely thought, "That's a HUGE cake." de=
spite it being perhaps only three tiers with the upper one being a single-s=
erving size for the stoutly-built best man. And you may have told a lot of =
people about the HUGE cake that you saw...and only when you saw a six-tier,=
fit-for-royalty cake did you attenuate your thoughts about that first &quo=
t;huge" cake.</div>
<div><br></div><div>My gut feeling (not to propagate the food analogy), is =
that people who see their first Horned or Barred Owl see those facial discs=
and say, "Wow, those are huge." simply because they have no cont=
ext in which to compare them. A good friend made this mistake once with a H=
orned Owl and reported it as a GG Owl to me; the feather tufts were not obv=
ious to him at the time (I forget if it was branches in the way or somethin=
g like that).</div>
<div><br></div><div>I think it wise for everyone to be open to reports of t=
hese birds, but very skeptical (politely so!). The latest Tufts records onl=
y two specimens taken and one "well-studied" (but confirmed?) in =
1976. I am unaware of any confirmed records during my 22 years here, though=
two other friends swear up and down that they each saw one.</div>
<div><br></div><div>It's tough being a birder sometimes...faced with=A0=
reports of very=A0unlikely birds and the inevitable looks of "why don&=
#39;t you believe me?"</div><div><br></div><div>Randy</div><div><br></=
div>
<div>First Redpoll at my feeder two days ago.</div><div><br clear=3D"all">_=
________________________________<br>RF Lauff<br>Way in the boonies of<br>An=
tigonish County, NS.<br>
<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On 25 December 2010 18:17, Bob McDonald =
<span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:bobathome@hfx.eastlink.ca">bobathom=
e@hfx.eastlink.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote=
" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div bgcolor=3D"#ffffff">
<div><font size=3D"2">I don't think that the observation was made this =
past=20
summer.=A0 I recall speaking to these folks over the phone several years ba=
ck=20
but not=A0sure how or why they contacted me.=A0I'm pretty sure that I=
=20
called Ian about the likelihood of this actually being a GGOW at the time b=
ut we=20
were both undecided.=A0 The timing of the report doesn't seem quite rig=
ht -=20
I've seen GGOW on a couple of occasions but always during the winter ne=
ar=20
Montreal where there are occasional "eruptions" of this species.=
=A0 Their=20
description however was pretty convincing.=A0 Guess that we'll never kn=
ow=20
regarding this report.</font></div>
<div><font size=3D"2"></font>=A0</div>
<div><font size=3D"2">I did ask them to call me if they ever saw it again b=
ut never=20
did hear back from them.</font></div>
<div><font size=3D"2"></font>=A0</div>
<div><font size=3D"2">Best wishes for a Happy Festive Season and lots of go=
od birds=20
in 2011!!</font></div>
<div><font size=3D"2"></font>=A0</div>
<div><font size=3D"2">Bob McDonald</font></div>
<div><font size=3D"2">Halifax</font></div>
<div><font size=3D"2"></font>=A0</div>
<blockquote style=3D"border-left:#000000 2px solid;padding-left:5px;padding=
-right:0px;margin-left:5px;margin-right:0px" dir=3D"ltr">
<div style=3D"font:10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div>
<div style=3D"font:10pt arial;background:#e4e4e4"><b>From:</b>=20
<a title=3D"plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca" href=3D"mailto:plchalmers@ns.symp=
atico.ca" target=3D"_blank">P.L. Chalmers</a> </div>
<div style=3D"font:10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title=3D"naturens@chebucto.n=
s.ca" href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" target=3D"_blank">naturens@ch=
ebucto.ns.ca</a> </div>
<div style=3D"font:10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, December 23, 2010 5=
:40=20
PM</div>
<div style=3D"font:10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> Re: [NatureNS] Re: CBC Rad=
io=20
Noon - putative Gr. Gray Owl</div>
<div><br></div>Just so that no-one is anxious about missing a chance to s=
ee=20
this bird, it should be noted that the caller was <b>not</b> reporting a=
=20
recent sighting - she saw it months=20
ago.<br><br>=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Patricia=20
L.=20
Chalmers<br>=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Halifax<br><br><br>At=20
05:13 PM 23/12/2010, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=3D"cite">Wayne et alia:<br><br>I didn't=20
write down her name and phone number, although it was on=A0 <br>screen =
as=20
we responded. We get a lot of oddly described and=A0 <br>unidentifiable=
=20
birds on the phone-in and, in my opinion, it is risky=A0 <br>to accept =
an=20
even a reasonable description of an extreme rarity=A0 <br>through that=
=20
medium. Nevertheless, I am trying to trace the caller via=A0=20
<br>CBC.<br><br>Cheers, Ian<br>Ian McLaren<br><br>Quoting "Wayne P=
. Neily"=20
<<a href=3D"mailto:neilyornis@hotmail.com" target=3D"_blank">neilyor=
nis@hotmail.com</a>>:<br><br>
<blockquote type=3D"cite"><br>Hello all,<br><br>Enjoyed=20
your hour of radio birding as usual.=A0 Did you or any of the=A0=20
<br>listeners on this list catch the full name or location of the=A0=
=20
<br>observer of what sounded like a good Great Grey Owl record?=A0=20
It=A0 <br>would be useful to document this for its distributional=20
value.<br><br><br><br>=A0Wayne P. Neily<br><br>Tremont, Kings Co., No=
va=20
Scotia<br><br><br>"Go forth, under the open sky, and list<br>To =
Nature's=20
teachings." - William Cullen Bryant, 1817=20
[Thanatopsis].<br></blockquote><br></blockquote></blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div><br></div>
--20cf3054a4d7fa56ce0498548674--
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