Records Committee
Utah Ornithological Society
   
Status & Comments
Year 2011 (records 16 through 30)

  
2011-16  Eastern Phoebe

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 25 Mar 2011 Acc  
Rick F. 28 Apr 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc  
Ron R. 20 May 2011 Acc Nice photo and description. Clearly eliminates other species.
Terry S.. 4 May 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 13 May 2011 Acc  
Mark S. 18 Apr 2011 Acc Good description and photo.

  

2011-17  Glossy Ibis

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 10 May 2011 Acc The photos and the description establish this bird as a Glossy Ibis.
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc Good photos.
Ryan O. 7 Aug 2011 Acc  
Terry S.. 14 May 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 13 May 2011 Acc  
Merrill W. 19 Jul 2011 Acc  

  

2011-18  Glossy Ibis

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 10 May 2011 Acc I believe this description, along with multiple observers, establishes this identification.

2nd round:  

7 Aug 2011 Acc This is a good example where a photo would have been most helpful, but I believe the description as given, plus multiple observers, is enough to confirm the id, and I sincerely doubt that this is a hybrid. It would have been nice to have a better description of the legs.
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  

2nd round:  

24 Aug 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc Acceptable description of Glossy Ibis.

2nd round:  

31 Aug 2011 Acc A photo would have been helpful, but description still fits Glossy Ibis.
Ryan O. 7 Aug 2011 No, ID Probably a Glossy as described, but description of facial skin as "dark" may not be sufficient to eliminate the possibility of a Glossy x White-faced hybrid given the brief periods in which the face was observed.  I think the written description and sketch are consistent with some hybrid individuals, for example, the bird in figures 8 & 9 of Arterburn & Grzybowski 2003.

2nd round:  

23 Aug 2011 No, ID My concern is still that this record's use of the word "dark" in the description of the facial skin is vague enough to include well-documented examples of Glossy x White-faced hybrids. Because Plegadis hybrids are common and increasing (Arterburn & Grzybowski 2003, Semo 2007), it is important to eliminate a hybrid from consideration in accepting a vagrant record of this species. Hybrids have been documented on several occasions in Utah, although because the committee does not solicit documentation for hybrids, we cannot quantitatively assess their relative frequency in this state. Because hybrids in this species pair are so common, I believe hybrids should be explicitly excluded in a record, just as we have come to expect for records of vagrant Sapsuckers and Iceland Gulls. A photo would not necessarily be required to eliminate a hybrid, but this record does not mention the possibility of a hybrid whatsoever. The hybrid possibility is simply not addressed in either the drawing or the written text. For that reason, I have lingering doubts that this could have been a hybrid, and I must vote to not accept.
Terry S.. 14 May 2011 Acc  

2nd round:  

30 Aug 2011 Acc I appreciate Ryan concern that a Glossy x White-faced hybrid is not addressed as a possibility. The narrative description to me, however, sounds convincing for a Glossy Ibis.
Jack S.. 13 May 2011 Acc  

2nd round:  

18 Aug 2011 Acc  
Mark S.      

2nd round:  

8 Aug 2011 Acc Ron's concern with a possible hybrid notwithstanding, I think the description is good enough for what is now becoming a regular visitor to Utah. While hybrid could be possible, there is nothing in the description that obviously points to this bird being a hybrid. Given that this is no longer a "rare" bird in Utah, I think the burden of proof shifts to requiring some evidence that this bird is a hybrid, rather than requiring the elimination of the hybrid possibility, as a rarer and commonly hybridizing species might call for.
Merrill W. 19 Jul 2011 Acc  

  

2011-19  Vaux's Swift

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 11 May 2011 Acc The main identification challenge here is to separate Chimney Swift from Vaux's Swift, and the observer did an excellent job of paying detailed attention to the important identification points.
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc Adequate description
Ryan O. 7 Aug 2011 Acc  
Terry S.. 14 May 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 10 Jul 2011 Acc In my opinion, there are sufficient details (song, body shape, plumage color and contrast, wing shape, bill size, and probability) to distinguish this species from the Chimney Swift.
Merrill W. 19 Jul 2011 Acc  

 

2011-20  Palm Warbler

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 11 May 2011 Acc Great find. Definitive photos
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc  
Terry S.. 14 May 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 13 May 2011 Acc  
Mark S. 14 Jul 2011 Acc Exhaustive write-up, definitive photos and lots of observers leave no doubt on this one.
Merrill W. 19 Jul 2011 Acc  

  

2011-21 Vaux's Swift

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 22 May 2011 Acc  
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc Excellent documentation
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc  
Terry S.. 18 May 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 10 Jul 2011 Acc Excellent photographs and documentation.
Mark S. 14 Jul 2011 Acc Excellent documentation - a swift record with photos, no less!
Merrill W. 16 May 2011 Acc  

   

2011-22 Palm Warbler

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 22 May 2011 Acc  
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc  
Ryan O. 7 Aug 2011 Acc  
Ron R.. 8 Aug 2011 Acc The description is sufficient to identify this species and rule out other warblers.
Terry S.. 18 May 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 15 May 2011 abst [submitted record]
Mark S. 8 Aug 2011 Acc Good description of a distinctive species from an experienced observer.
Merrill W. 16 May 2011 Acc  

  

2011-23 Northern Parula

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 22 May 2011 Acc  
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc  
Ryan O. 7 Aug 2011 Acc  
Terry S.. 18 May 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 10 Jul 2011 Acc Good photographs and documentation.
Merrill W. 16 May 2011 Acc  

  

2011-24 Vaux's Swift

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 22 May 2011 Acc  
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc  
Terry S.. 18 May 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 10 Jul 2011 Acc Excellent photographs and documentation.
Mark S. 14 Jul 2011 Acc Another swift record with photos! Excellent write-up, too.
Merrill W. 16 May 2011 Acc  

  

2011-25 Neotropic Cormorant

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 22 May 2011 Acc At some point, I suspect sooner rather that later, we may need to reassess the need to keep this a reportable bird.
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc Good description of marks.
Terry S.. 18 May 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 10 Jul 2011 Acc Excellent documentation.
Mark S. 14 Jul 2011 Acc Adequate description, though some important field marks were not seen/reported. I hate to use size alone as the field mark, even when DCCO is close by for comparison. DCCO varies considerably in size between different individuals and sub-species.
Merrill W. 16 May 2011 Acc  

  

2011-26 Neotropic Cormorant

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 24 May 2011 Acc I have the feeling that we may be voting on the same birds that we have been voting on before.
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc  
Terry S.. 28 May 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 20 Jul 2011 Acc Excellent photographs.
Mark S. 14 Jul 2011 Acc Photos show a NECO.
Merrill W. 19 Jul 2011 Acc  

  

2011-27 Least Flycatcher

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 27 Jun 2011 Acc One must be very cautious in identifying a rare non-calling Empid during migration. However this description and the photos really do strongly suggest that this is a Least Flycatcher. I wish we could see the underside of the beak better, but I feel the sum total of what we see is adequate to identify this bird.
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc  
Ryan O. 7 Aug 2011 Acc  
Ron R. 8 Aug 2011 Acc A difficult ID. However, the photos and description are adequate to eliminate other empids. The most important features are the small size, relative large head, whitish throat, short, wide bill, short primary projection and even, but bold white eye ring. Also, though not observable in the photos, observation of a light lower mandible important. Overall color pattern also consistent with least flycatcher.
Terry S.. 26 Jul 2011 abst  
Jack S.. 8 Aug 2011 Acc  
Mark S. 15 Jul 2011 Acc Excellent photos showing short primary projection and uniform eye-ring, small bill.
Merrill W. 19 Jul 2011 Acc  

  

2011-28 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc  
Ryan O. 7 Aug 2011 Acc  
Ron R. 8 Aug 2011 Acc Photos sufficient to identify this species.
Terry S.. 21 Jun 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 19 Jul 2011 Acc Good documentation.
Mark S. 15 Jul 2011 Acc I saw and photographed this bird.
Merrill W. 19 Jul 2011 Acc  

  

2011-29 Red-necked Grebe

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 27 Jun 2011 Acc Great photo
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc  
Ryan O. 7 Aug 2011 Abst (Abstain - includes a sight record submitted by me.)
Ron R. 8 Aug 2011 Acc Excellent photos; unmistakable.
Terry S.. 21 Jun 2011 Acc Great Photos!
Jack S.. 19 Jul 2011 Acc Good documentation and nice photographs.
Mark S. 15 Jul 2011 Acc excellent photos of a distinctive species
Merrill W. 19 Jul 2011 Acc  

  

2011-30 Neotropic Cormorant

Evaluator Date Vote Comment
Bob B. 27 Jun 2011 Acc  
Rick F. 27 Jun 2011 Acc To clarify, these are not hatch-year birds (2nd summer)
Steve H. 16 Jul 2011 Acc  
Ryan O. 7 Aug 2011 Acc  
Ron R. 8 Aug 2011 Acc Photos sufficient to identify this species.
Terry S.. 21 Jun 2011 Acc  
Jack S.. 19 Jul 2011 Acc  
Mark S. 15 Jul 2011 Acc  
Merrill W. 19 Jul 2011 Acc  

  

 

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