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Rec. # 2023-32
Red Headed Woodpecker
Date:
31 Aug 2023
Type of material: Observer Interview
(with Casey Richardson)
Source of Information: Kristin
Purdy
Casey,
Kristin Purdy here, member of the Utah Birds Records Committee.
The committee is debating your Red-headed Woodpecker sight record and I have a
few questions about your sighting, some of which are shared by the other
members. I thought it would be helpful to us to learn some specifics of your
sighting that have come up during our deliberations that were not clear in the
sight record. Would you be willing to share your thoughts? I hope so.
Feel free to type your answers right after each question.
1. Was your view of the bird obstructed in any way?
No, completely clear view
2. At what angle was the bird from your viewpoint? In other words, did you see
the bird in profile because you had a side view and/or the full back without
being able to see the bird's sides and belly, or a combination of positions?
I was able to see it from profile, with belly in view. It was
moving a bit to feed.
3. If you had an unobstructed view of the bird's back, could you describe what
you saw from the top of its head to the tip of its tail?
I don’t recall. I remember the “color-blocked” profile and
solid red head much more vividly. I seem to remember it being solid black, but
that is hazy.
4. During your observation time, which you reported as 1 minute, were you
stopped or was your horse moving?
The horse was walking slowly and we paused for a moment to
wait for other riders while I saw the bird
5. Did your audience with the bird end because you moved away from it or did the
bird leave? If the bird left, did you see it in flight?
I moved away
6. This may sound really dumb, but why did you have binoculars? Binoculars
aren't common equipment while horseback riding, so I'm wondering your motivation
in having them.
I brought them to bird and look at wildlife while on the
trail ride with my family. We like wildlife, and I thought it would be a good
opportunity. The ride was for Father’s Day and I also thought it’d be a good
idea in case we saw a moose or something interesting for him to get a closer
look. I kne[w] we’d have some time off the horses for lunch and wanted to be
able to look around.
7. Were you able to view the bird with both your unaided eye and with your binos?
Yes
Thanks very much for considering these questions. Some may require you to
answer a few things you've covered already in your sight record, but I
appreciate your answering them anyway.
Kris
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