[reccom] 20009 checklist
Lu Giddings
seldom74 at xmission.com
Mon Jan 19 21:26:13 MST 2009
hi Milt,
I think the new list looks good. I like what Rick has done with the
provisional species on the list. I don't see any major causes for concern
and hope I've not overlooked something. I've stayed a bit back from the
process, both because I didn't want to tread on Rick's toes and also, I'm
still a bit unsure what role as a non-voting committee member I should
play/should have been playing in this process. Perhaps I should be a bit
more involved. If you have any advice I'd appreciate it.
I thought I was going to be able to get to the assistant committee member
issue this weekend but was wrong. Given my calendar for the next two weeks,
I hope to have something to present to the committee in early February.
Thanks Milt,
lu
On Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 9:51 AM, Milt Moody <miltonmoody at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Rick sent an attachment with the new version of the checklist but i bounced
> because the attachment was too large. I've made a link to the Rich Text
> File he sent (and I made a pdf version which didn't work unless I modified
> the font -- maybe Rick can send me a pdf version) -- you can access the file
> through the link at the bottom of the following page in the "On-going
> Projects" section:
>
> http://utahbirds.org/ReviewBirds/
>
> here's the text of Rick's original message:
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> Sorry for the delay in getting back with you all. I didn't have the
> access
> to the internet I thought I would this past week. Anyway,...Thank you
> to
> everyone for their comments; they are all very much appreciated. I've
> incorporated them into the attached checklist, and it is off to the
> printers. I would have liked to have corresponded on these changes, but
> unfortunately had to make some decisions under the circumstances. So I
> thought I'd let you know how I addressed your individual comments, so,
> if
> necessary, they can changed in the future or on the 'official'
> electronic
> version to be posted on the website.
>
> Email address - changed to Utahbirds at gmail.com as requested.
>
> Kris's recommended codes:
>
> Hooded Merganser - UW
> Horned Grebe - UT,RW
> Great Egret - US,RW
> Ferruginous Hawk - UP
> Baird's Sandpiper - FT (although I'm not sure I agree they are 'fairly
> common' at least away from the Salt Lake
> Band-tailed Pigeon - US (I left this one as uncommon, as they could
> probably
> be called 'fairly common' in the mountains of s. Utah.)
> Flammulated Owl - UC (are these really more common statewide than Barn
> Owls,
> Screech-Owls, Pygmy-Owls, Burrowing Owls, Long-eared and Short-eared
> Owls?).
> Calliope Hummingbird - UT,RS
> White-breasted Nuthatch - FP (as per Eric's comments)
> Common Moorhen added * - I agree these need a Wash Co. mark; in regards
> to
> Eric's comments, they are regular breeders in appropriate (but limited)
> habitat along the Virgin River. I'd estimate there are at least 15 or so
> breeding pairs each year between Riverside and Seegmiller Marshes.
> Northern Saw-whet Owl - I also made this recommended change, but would
> probably argue they are RS for the southern third of the state.
> Least Flycatcher - I didn't really know what to do about this one. As I
> went
> through all the documented records, I was very surprised this went on
> the
> 'provisional list' but I could not find any documented records with
> recordings or photographs. There are no 'historic records' of this
> species
> (no mention in Hayward et al. 1976, or Behle et al. 1985), however
> there
> are four 'accepted' sight records (06-18-1989, Box Elder Co.;
> 06-01-1991,
> Davis Co., 09-24-2000, Washington Co.; and 05-29-2004, Weber Co.) and,
> none
> of these has accompanying recordings or photographs according to the UOS
> write-ups or more recent electronic submissions. So I left the
> provisional
> mark on, but this should be one we can remove relatively easy.
> Cassin's Kingbird - did not add a Washington County * - as per Eric's
> comments, and I know they breed in Kane and Garfield Co's.
> Western Bluebird - same as Cassin's Kingbird above, but add San Juan,
> Iron,
> Beaver, Millard, Piute, and Sevier to the county list above.
> Winter Wren - changed to RP, but how about OS,RW?? (as a note there's
> at
> least three summer records in s. Utah since 2003 that I'm aware of -
> including Cedar Mt. - Iron Co., by Rob Dobbs; Navajo Lake, Kane Co, by
> Bob
> Showler and others, and Lava Point, Washington Co., by L. Tripp and me).
> Lark Bunting - added N. Utah ^ (however, as a note, I've seen transient
> Lark
> Buntings (flocks up to 10 or so) five of the last eight years in Wash.
> Co.)
>
> Terry's comments:
> Le Conte's Thrasher and Blue-headed Vireo - With five records of Le
> Conte's
> Thrasher and none since 1990, and three recent BH Vireo records, Terry's
> comments are correct - both changed from O to A.
>
> Milt's comments:
> Milt is correct the species total should be 443. Nice catch! My
> mistake, I
> added the recent Whip-poor-will, then confused myself on whether I
> changed
> the number, then counted the species about a hundred times (with more
> different results than I care to admit), before finally numbering each
> species just to be sure.
>
> Ron's comments:
> Glossy Ibis - changed to O, but we should keep an eye on this over the
> next
> few years.
> Broad-winged Hawk - changed to RT
> Least Flycatcher - see comments above, if there was a recording of the
> June
> 1989, Box Elder LeFl, it was not mentioned in the UOS write-up and is no
> longer available (?), at least to the best of my knowledge.
> Winter Wren - changed to RP
> Snow Bunting - added N. Utah ^
>
> Eric's comments:
> all addressed above.
>
> Artwork - Unfortunately I didn't receive Milt's snipe until this
> weekend.
> So......I really liked Kristin's idea of using a Canyon or Rock Wren as
> being a good representative of Utah's avifauna. I tried to adapt
> several
> photos (some of Paul H's and a few of mine) but alas, I have neither the
> programs or the ability to take a photograph and turn it into a black
> and
> white silhouette. So, I decided to try something completely new, taxed
> my
> very limited artistic abilities, and drew a Canyon Wren and stuck it on
> the
> checklist. Maybe not the best option, but it can be replaced with a
> different photo/drawing by Milt for the official list maintained on the
> website. If anyone thinks it's really horrible, let me know (it won't
> hurt
> my feelings) and I can check with the printer and see if it's still
> possible
> to change.
>
> Again, I apologize for the unilateral decisions.... it wasn't my
> intention,
> but I didn't want to miss the opportunity to have some printed
> checklists.
>
>
> Finally, here's an additional topic for the committee to consider in the
> future. While reviewing the historical records and their documentation
> for
> the checklist update, I came across a couple species that appear to have
> as
> much (or more) documentation as some other species currently on the
> checklist. And, since the bylaws were recently changed and now that
> 'Provisional Species (species that have been accepted based on sight
> records
> only, without physical documentation) have been demarcated on the
> checklist,...... I think the committee should look at the status of
> California Condor and Blue-throated Hummingbird.
>
> In regards to the California Condor - Based on reports in Henshaw (1875)
> and
> Woodbury (1932), this species was included in the primary list of
> species by
> Hayward et al. (1976, Birds of Utah, Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs #1);
> included 'arbitrarily' as an 'unverified species' in Behle et al.'s Utah
> Birds (1985, Utah Museum of Natural History Occasional Publication #4);
> and
> perhaps more importantly, the California Condor Recovery Team and USFWS,
> after reviewing available historic information, considered southern Utah
> to
> be within the California Condor's historical habitat (under the recent
> ESA
> safeharbor agreements, recovery plan, and re-introduction programs). A
> decision that was reviewed by leading condor researchers and experts,
> and
> adopted by state and federal wildlife and land management agencies.
>
> Blue-throated Hummingbird - An individual was observed by Jerome Gifford
> visiting feeders in Springdale, Washington Co. from Aug 3-8, 1972. This
> sighting was first summarized in Kingery (1973, American Birds,
> 27:91-96).
> It was then, based on Gifford's sighting, listed as a 'species of
> uncertain
> status' in Hayward et al. (1976) and a 'provisional species' in Behle et
> al.
> (1985). Behle et al. (1985), summarize the sighting as: "A sight record
> of
> an immature male was obtained by Jerome Gifford at Springdale at the
> mouth
> of Zion Canyon on 3 August 1972. While this record is acceptable to us,
> several other records in the state of large hummingbirds assumed to
> represent this species are unsubstantiated."
>
> It seems to me that both of these species warrant consideration as
> 'provisional species' on the Utah checklist.
>
>
> Once again, I appreciate having had the opportunity to work with you all
> on
> the records committee.
>
> Thank you all very much,
>
> Rick
>
>
>
>
>
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