Records Committee Utah Ornithological Society Web Site

Records Committee
Utah Ornithological Society

Status & Comments
Year 2012 (records 1 through 20)

2012-01 Snowy Owl

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	21 Jan 2012	Acc	WOW
Rick F.	24 Feb 2012	Acc
Steve H.	4 Feb 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	21 Jan 2012	Acc
Ron R.	29 Feb 2012	Acc	Unmistakable from photo!
Terry S..	21 Jan 2012	Acc	Fantastic photo. This has been an irruption year for snowy owls and the observer captured a great image with good equipment.
Jack S..	21 Jan 2012	Acc
Mark S.	24 Jan 2012	Acc	Unless someone's a real master with Photoshop, that's a Snowy Owl, and that's the Antelope Island Causeway.
David W.	23 Jan 2012	Acc	I vote to accept this record based on the beautiful photo. I take it from the e-mail address that the person reporting the owl was a hunter. Excellent.

2012-02 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	1 Feb 2012	Acc
Rick F.	24 Feb 2012	Acc	Great record
Steve H.	4 Feb 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	27 Jan 2012	Acc	No doubt for me on the identification, but I thought the age was worth a comment: Fourth winter seems likely because of the extent of black on the bill, but I'm not sure enough is known about bill color and age in Lesser Black-backed Gulls to confidently eliminate older ages. Howell and Dunn (2007) show a particularly well-marked bill on an adult-plumaged bird and say, "Extensive black bill markings may indicate a fourth-cycle bird." In the species description they describe bills of non-breeding adults as having "typically a variable blackish distal mark or band." In my opinion, this would be best considered "adult" or "age 4+".
Ron R.	29 Feb 2012	Acc	Dark coloring on head and size eliminates similar gulls with yellow legs.
Terry S..	8 Feb 2012	Acc
Jack S..	5 Feb 2012	Acc
Mark S.	11 Mar 2012	Acc	Not the best photos, but the comparison with the California Gulls is useful, and when coupled with the observer's report of leg & eye color, I think we have enough to accept.
David W.	1 Feb 2012	Acc

2012-03 Neotropic Cormorant

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	13 Apr 2012	No, ID	There are several things that bother me about this bird. The description certainly sounds most like a Neotropic. However I believe it is difficult to totally judge size when there are no Double-crested Cormorants around for comparison. I also have to confess that I cannot definitely see the white margin on the face. Most troubling is the bird in flight. It appears to me to have a fairly significant kink in the neck, which strongly suggests Double-crested. I would like to see what others have to say about this bird.
2nd round:	13 May 2012	No, ID	David may well have a unique approach to voting on this bird, but I feel I can only vote on the basis of the information provided in the report, and that bird appears to me to be a Double-crested Cormorant. Can David be sure that he was really seeing the same bird?
Rick F.	3 May 2012	No, ID	photos and description are marginal. Diagnostic bare parts are not discussed in the description. Flight porportions (tail vs. head/neck length) in photos appear closer to DC Cormorant.
2nd round:	31 May 2012	No, ID	DC Cormorants can show white gular edging as well. Also I believe the photo shows a .Double-crested Cormorant
Steve H.	29 Apr 2012	Acc
2nd round:	6 Jul 2012	No, ID	Too many concerns to accept.
Ryan O.	22 Mar 2012	Acc	In addition to the distinguishing marks described, the long tail shown in flight by this bird identifies it as a Neotropic Cormorant.
2nd round:	18 May 2012	Acc	In evaluating this record in the first round, I thought the bird looked like a Double-crested in structure, so I measured the ratio of tail length to head/neck length in five photographs of each species found online. I didn't keep the data, but I found the ratio of the bird in these photographs was well within the range shown in the five photos I selected of Neotropic, and was outside the range shown by Double-crested.
Ron R.	7 May 2012	No, ID	While this individual may well be a neotropic cormorant, I don't feel the record safely eliminates double-crested cormorant. DC cormorants can show some white edging to the gape and the definitive markings, smaller, more angled throat patch that does not encompass the eye is neither discussed nor apparent in the photos. The size was not compared to DC cormorant and was only an impression of the observer.
2nd round:	27 May 2012	No, ID	Not enough evidence to eliminate double-crested.
Terry S..	17 Apr 2012	No, ID	When there is no other species of cormorant present it is difficult to evaluate relative size. Photo A enlarged looks a lot like a Double-crested Cormorant with the tail shorter than the extended neck and head. I wish there was more to detail given than just white in the gape.
2nd round:	18 May 2012	No, ID	As per my first round comments
Jack S..	1 Apr 2012	Acc	Description sufficient to distinguish from D.-crested. Photo supports tail length >= neck length.
2nd round:	6 Jun 2012	No, ID	I agree with others that this record and photographs are marginal.2012-11
Mark S.	25 Mar 2012	No, ID	I'd like to see some discussion on this record. Structurally, it looks much more like a Double-crested Cormorant in the photos, with heavy head/neck and short tail. Also, although it's hard to tell from the photos, the shape of the gular pouch seems more like Double-crested Cormorant. I can't see the white border in the photos, so the only thing that supports the i.d. is the observer's report of the white border, and the impression of the bird's size (not very reliable). From the photos alone, I'd call this a Double-crested. I think there's enough question here to go to a second round.
2nd round:	9 May 2012	No, ID	I still think the bird in the photos looks much more like a Double-crested than a Neotropic. The head and neck look much too heavy, and the tail too short. The facial structures/features are not well enough visible in the photos, or described clearly enough in the written description to be useful. As others noted, the presence of white alone is not diagnostic. Here in the land of almost-all-cormorants-are-Neotropic, a bird that presented the shape that I see in the flight photo would cause me to do a double-take, looking for it to be a Double-crested. I think there is enough doubt here to question this record.
David W.	22 Mar 2012	Acc
2nd round:	9 May 2012	Acc	I agree with the nay-voters that the photos are anything but convincing. I personally voted yes based on the fact that I went out a couple days later and refound the bird and confirmed with my own eyes that it was a Neotropical cormorant, both structurally and in a broad white outline to a tapering gular patch. I don't know whether you all are allowed to vote on my observations or not, seeing as I did not submit them in a write-up, but it certainly affected my vote.

2012-04 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	13 Apr 2012	Acc	Excellent description and photos
Rick F.	3 May 2012	Acc
Steve H.	29 Apr 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	4 Apr 2012	Acc
Ron R.	7 May 2012	Acc	Nice photos and description clearly ID this species. Size and head streaks safely eliminate yellow-footed gull.
Terry S..	17 Apr 2012	Acc
Jack S..	1 Apr 2012	Acc	Nice photographs!
Mark S.	17 Apr 2012	Acc	Nice documentation & photos.
David W.	4 Apr 2012	Acc	Excellent photos. Especially useful was Photo C, which clearly showed the single subterminal white spot on the wing tip. The observer did a fine job eliminating similar species.

2012-05 Neotropic Cormorant

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	13 Apr 2012	Acc
Rick F.	3 May 2012	Acc
Steve H.	29 Apr 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	5 Apr 2012	Acc
Ron R.	7 May 2012	Acc	Excellent photo clearly shows this species.
Terry S..	17 Apr 2012	Acc
Jack S..	15 Apr 2012	Acc
Mark S.	17 Apr 2012	Acc
David W.	5 Apr 2012	Acc	I am voting to accept also because sharp-tipped feathers on mantle and the long tail relative to body.

2012-06 Neotropic Cormorant

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	13 Apr 2012	Acc	Great photos
Rick F.	3 May 2012	Acc
Steve H.	29 Apr 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	8 Apr 2012	Acc
Ron R.	7 May 2012	Acc	Photos clearly show this species.
Terry S..	17 Apr 2012	Acc
Jack S..	15 Apr 2012	Acc	Great Photographs!
Mark S.	17 Apr 2012	Acc
David W.	9 Apr 2012	Acc	Great photos.

2012-07 Black-throated Blue Warbler

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	13 Apr 2012	Acc	We are spoiled in wanting photos, but I feel this description certainly is definitive enough to accurately confirm the identifidation.
2nd round:	15 May 2012	Acc
Rick F.	3 May 2012	Acc
2nd round:	31 May 2012	Acc
Steve H.	29 Apr 2012	Acc
2nd round:	6 Jul 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	8 Apr 2012	Acc
2nd round:	18 May 2012	Acc
Ron R.	7 May 2012	Acc	Description consistent with black-throated blue warbler male. Bright white undertail and very white underwings not consistent with this species, but probably reflect undertail coverts, tail spots and ligher underwing color.
2nd round:	27 May 2012	Acc	My first round comments still apply.
Terry S..	17 Apr 2012	Acc	While not all field marks were noted in this record I believe enough was given for this very distinctive species.
2nd round:	18 May 2012	Acc	Even though the white wing patch was not mentioned I believe enough detail was given for this distinctive species
Jack S..	15 May 2012	No, ID	I'd like to hear the committee suggestions on this record. The detailed description of upper wing does not mention a white patch at the base of the primaries, which should be quite obvious for an adult male bird.
2nd round:	21 May 2012	Acc	OK!
Mark S.	17 Apr 2012	Acc	He missed the white spot on the wing, which would have been diagnostic, but for such a distinctive species (at least for the male), other species are adequately eliminated by the description.
2nd round:	15 May 2012	Acc	Although I am troubled by the fact that the white patch on the wing was not mentioned, I believe that this mark would be easily overlooked on such a striking bird by an observer not experienced with the species. The other field marks noted are sufficient to positively this distinctive species.
David W.	9 Apr 2012	Acc
2nd round:	15 May 2012	Acc	I see no other option.

2012-08 Neotropic Cormorant

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	13 Apr 2012	Acc	I have had the feeling for the last two years that we may be voting more that once for the same bird when it comes to Neotropic Cormorants. I feel there is no question as to the correct identification of these birds, but we are seeing so many reports and numerous people are seeing the birds that I at this point wonder if this bird should still be on our reporting list.
Rick F.	3 May 2012	Acc
Steve H.	29 Apr 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	16 Apr 2012	Acc	Written description is very sparse and does not eliminate similar species, but photographs are diagnostic.
Ron R.	7 May 2012	Acc	Photos clearly show this species.
Terry S..	17 Apr 2012	Acc	I wonder if we have enough records of this species to consider eliminating it from the reportable species list.
Jack S..	15 Apr 2012	Acc
Mark S.	17 Apr 2012	Acc	Is it time yet to take this species off of the review list?
David W.	17 Apr 2012	Acc	Accepted on basis of photos. Based on the photos, these look like different birds from the bird in the 2012-05 record.

2012-09 Common Redpoll

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	20 Apr 2012	Acc	Great bird, especially this late. Diagnostic photo.
Rick F.	3 May 2012	Acc
Steve H.	29 Apr 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	20 Apr 2012	Acc	The written record makes no attempt to eliminate Hoary Redpoll from consideration, but I believe the size of the bill and the extent and density of the streaking in the cheeks and sides that are evident in the photo eliminate that species.
Ron R.	7 May 2012	Acc	Description and photo clearly indicate redpoll. Bold streaking on underparts, dark head, and large bill eliminate hoary redpoll.
Terry S..	2 May 2012	Acc
Jack S..	1 May 2012	Acc
Mark S.	19 Apr 2012	Acc	The description is not adequate to confirm this as a redpoll, let alone distinguish common from hoary, but the photo clearly shows a Common Redpoll.
David W.	24 Apr 2012	Acc

2012-10 Neotropic Cormorant

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	24 Apr 2012	Acc
Rick F.	3 May 2012	Acc
Steve H.	29 Apr 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	24 Apr 2012	Acc
Ron R.	7 May 2012	Acc	Photos clearly show this species. Records 2012-05, 2012-08 and 2012-10 should be combined as they are likely the same birds in the same location.
Terry S..	2 May 2012	Acc
Jack S..	1 May 2012	Acc
Mark S.	23 Apr 2012	Acc
David W.	24 Apr 2012	Acc

2012-11 Tricolored Blackbird

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	24 Apr 2012	Acc	I have to admit that I have struggled a bit with this bird. Something this rare needs good documentation. However I have to believe that this really is a Tricolored Blackbird. A few days ago I spent considerable time photographing Red-winged Blackbirds, and I have several good photos to compare with this bird. This bird has an has a glossy appearance which is obvious in the photos. Red-wings do not have this, and there is no evidence of this in any of my photos. It is a bit difficult to compare the bills from this photo and mine, but I believe this bill is narrower. The tail bothers me a little as it is not as square tipped as I believe it should be. If one looks closely at the wing color, there is a tiny bit of yellowish between the red and the white, but it is minimal. The red on the wing is definitely redder than on the pictures that I took. Therefore I am voting yes.
2nd round:	10 Jun 2012	No, ID	You all have me convinced that this is not a Tricolored Blcakbird, so I have changed my vote. However I am not convinced that this is a pure Redwing Blackbird. Tricoloreds are expanding their range in Washington state, now being found in the southeast corner of the state. It seems very possible that we could be seeing some hybrids in this area. The glossy coat which seems to be present in the photo still bothers me.
Rick F.	31 May 2012	No, ID
2nd round:	2 Jun 2012	No, ID	I believe the photo clearly shows a Red-winged Blackbird, and as others have pointed out, lacks several key characters for Tricolored Blackbird
Steve H.	29 Apr 2012	No, ID	The shoulder patch of male Tricolored Blackbird is bright red, not orange-red as shown on the bird in this photo, which is typical for male Red-winged Blackbird. Red-winged Blackbirds in Utah sometimes have a shoulder patch edged in white rather than yellow, so it is important to note other identifying fieldmarks.
2nd round:	6 Jul 2012	No, ID
Ryan O.	24 Apr 2012	No, ID	Color of the lighter wing bar can be quite misleading in identification of blackbirds, and some adult male Red-winged Blackbirds can be very pale in the part that is supposed to be yellow. Identification of Tricolored Blackbird needs to be supported by the shape and size of the bill, vocalizations, primary extension, etc., not on the color of the lower wing bar alone. Bill shape is difficult to judge accurately from the angle of this photograph, but this bird appears to me to have a relatively thick bill base, supporting Red-winged and excluding Tricolored. Vocalizations are the easiest way to tell these species apart, but were not described (but the bird was likely singing as it was an adult male in appropriate habitat at the appropriate time of year). Primary projection cannot be judged from the photograph and was not mentioned in the written report. Finally, although the written report describes the epaulet as "red", the photo is more ambiguous due to the color balance being a bit cold, and I think this could be a reddish-orange epaulet that would be expected on a Red-winged Blackbird. The bird reported here has a paler than normal yellow wing bar, but in my opinion the other traits visible are consistent with a Red-winged Blackbird. A similar bird was photographed in Utah and discussed previously:
2nd round:	11 Jun 2012	No, ID	(See my comments on the first round.)
Ron R.	7 May	No, ID	Width of white band and darkness of red are not consistent with tricolored blackbird. Red-winged blackbirds can show wing band that is very light and the photographed individual is consistent with some red-winged individuals I've observed. Calls would have to be observed to clearly ID this individual as a tricolored.
2nd round:	8 Jun 2012	No, ID	My comments still apply.
Terry S..	9 May 2012	No, ID	While white is visible on the wing I see yellow just below the red patch. This is a pattern sometimes visible in Red-winged Blackbirds especially in worn plumage. The base of the bill is comparatively wider than what I would expect to see in a tricolored Blackbird. An extraordinary record of a tricolored blackbird would require additional photos showing wing shape, etc. voice recording would also be helpful.
2nd round:	13 Jun 2012	No, ID
Jack S..	15 May 2012	No, ID	There are structural features that needed to be described. P9 relative to P6 (this could be captured with photo in flight) and ratio of bill length/depth (profile photo would allow for this measurement to be made) and rectrice shape (according to Pyle the shape is more squarish in Tricolored and the review bird shows a more graduated tail shape, consistent with Red-winged BB). The color of med coverts can overlap for alternate plumage, male Tricolored and Red-winged BB at whitish/buffy-white (Pyle 1997). More description of how separated from RRBB is required.
2nd round:	6 Jun 2012	No, ID
Mark S.	25 Apr 2012	No, ID	I think this is a faded Red-winged Blackbird. The color of the epaulets is not very diagnostic, in that the variability within RWBL can be great, and especially at this time of year, when fading can render the lesser-coverts nearly white. You can see on these that the bases of the feathers are quite yellow. Tricolored can show buffy-yellowish, too, but not usually this bright of yellow and not at this time of year. My biggest problem, though, is with the bill shape. Although the angle of the photo may be distorting this a bit, it appears too short, straight, and thick to be a TRBL. In addition, the tail does not appear to be square, as in TRBL, but slightly rounded/graduated, as in RWBL.
2nd round:	1 Jun 2012	No, ID	As per my first round comments.
David W.	3 May 2012	No, ID	This bird is nearly identical to the May Red-winged blackbird photo shown in Birds of North America Online. There is a thin line of transitional yellow between the red and white in the epaulet. The bill shape and tail are also consistent with a Red-winged blackbird.
2nd round:	6 Jun 2012	No, ID

2012-12 Eastern Phoebe

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	7 May 2012	Acc
Rick F.	31 May 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	1 May 2012	Acc
Ron R.	7 May 2012	Acc	Nice description clearly describes this species and eliminates other flycatchers.
Terry S..	16 May 2012	Acc	Excellent description
Jack S..	1 May 2012	Acc
Mark S.	1 May 2012	Acc	Excellent description and analysis of similar species.
David W.	3 May 2012	Acc

2012-13 Glossy Ibis

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	7 May 2012	Acc	Description convincing for Glossy Ibis. Photos certainly suggest Glossy, especially the face.
2nd round:	3 Jul 2012	Acc	The color of the face in the photos,I believe, is very difficult to judge. In this instance I believe the written description is probably more definitive and I will continue to vote yes.
Rick F.	31 May 2012	Acc
2nd round:	8 Jul 2012	Acc	I've studied hybrid WFxGlossy Ibis quite a bit, and I don' see any characteristics on this bird I'd consider to be suggestive of a hybrid.
Steve H. 2nd:	6 Jul 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	7 May 2012	No, ID	Written description says the facial color in front of the eye was "flat gray", but photographs show distinctly purple facial skin in all views. I believe this is a hybrid ibis (Glossy x White-faced), and it is very comparable to those shown in Arterburn and Grzyybowski 2003 fig. 8 and especially figs 1 and 2 in Leukering 2008.
2nd round:	4 Aug 2012	No, ID
Ron R.	7 May 2012	Acc	Verifying a pure glossy ibis is difficult due to possible hybridization with white-faced. This bird does not have obvious hybrid characteristics, including gray facial skin, narrow thin blue (appears whitish in photos) line outlining facial skin with no apparent extension behind eye, and eye does not show any redish coloration
2nd round:	3 Jul 2012	Acc	My comments from the first round still apply. Perhaps my computer screen is faulty, but I don't see a purplish facial skin on this bird. In addition, I don't see any other features that might suggest a hybrid (e.g., red eye, white behind eye, broad white facial stripes, etc.).
Terry S..	16 May 2012	Acc
2nd round:	9 Jul 2012	Acc	I really don,t see any thing in the photos that suggests a hybrid and the written description clearly describes a Glossy Ibis.
Jack S..	15 May 2012	Acc	Good description and photographs.
2nd round:	11 Jul 2012	Acc	The description and photos closely match a Glossy Ibis.
Mark S.	6 May 2012	Acc	Good description, and the photos show a Glossy Ibis.
2nd round:	4 Aug 2012	Acc	I don't see convincing evidence of a hybrid here.
David W.	9 May 2012	Acc	Photos also show that the pale outline to face patch does not wrap behind eye, which is consistent with a Glossy ibis.
2nd round:	3 Jul 2012	Acc

2012-14 Upland Sandpiper

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	15 May 2012	Acc	I would wish for more information on this bird, including a photo. But the description as given sounds good as given by an observer familiar with species.
2nd round:	3 Jul 2012	Acc	I certainly agree that more details would have been most welcome, but the details given, plus the experience of the observer with this species, I believe are sufficient to allow me to continue to vote yes.
Rick F.	2 Jun 2012	No, ID	This is a marginal record. The timing and habitat are both good for Upland Sandpiper, and the description of head and neck are okay, but the details are very minimal overall.
2nd round:	8 Jul 2012	No, ID
Steve H. 2nd:	6 Jul 2012	No, ID	Limited description suggestions Upand Sandpiper but I would like to see more details before accepting.
Ryan O.	18 May 2012	Acc
2nd round:	4 Aug 2012	Acc	Description is sparse but I believe the light bill (Willets were described as having darker bills) and thin neck as described are inconsistent with alternatives.
Ron R.	27 May 2012	No, ID	While this bird may well have been an upland sandpiper, the report does not contain sufficient descriptive material to identify this species. I encourage the observer to resubmit the record with sufficient details to identify this bird.
2nd round:	3 Jul 2012	No, ID	My comments from the first round still apply. Without information on color, the record does not eliminate other species including buff-breasted sandpiper or mountain plover.
Terry S..	29 May 2012	Acc	While the description of the bird was sparse I believe enough detail was given to vote affirmative on this record.
2nd round:	9 Jul 2012	Acc	I do agree this write up could be more but I am still inclined to accept this record. The timing is on, the description of the head is good and the habitat is right. Also the experience of the observer with the species is important to consider.
Jack S..	21 May 2012	No, ID	The documentation is too sparse in my opinion. This is too bad because the head, neck, & bill field marks and habitat are 'right on' for this species.
2nd round:	11 Jul 2012	No, ID
Mark S.	9 May 2012	No, ID	I actually am inclined to accept this record, but have some reservations, so I'd like to see some discussion before passing it off. The description is very limited, and we are left to heavily rely upon the observer's experience with the species. The structural description sounds good, and the habitat, too, but I'm left wondering if he was seeing what he expected to see in such a place, and maybe didn't give it the critical examination it would warrant. He discounts the possibility that a Willet could be in that habitat, but, as we all know, Willets are frequent in places like that, especially in the nesting season. And a spring Willet can be quite brownish - I don't think it's a possibility that can be so easily brushed off. It would have been nice if he had seen the bird fly, as the wing pattern on both species is distinctive. Given that this is a birder from out of the area, and wasn't aware of the rarity of such a sighting, did he immediately assume it was what would be common in the areas he knows best, and not give it the attention it deserved? While I think this may be a good record, in spite of the scant write-up, I'd like to see if others are struck by the same reservations that I am.
2nd round:	4 Aug 2012	No, ID	I still don't feel that there's enough here to convincingly say that this was an Upland Sandpiper. I can't vote to accept given little more than the experience of an unknown observer.
David W.	23 May 2012	No, ID	Although this may well have been an Upland sandpiper, I don't feel comfortable voting to accept this record based on the few fieldmarks provided. The viewer says there were Willets in the area, but does not say they were close enough for direct size comparison.
2nd round:	3 Jul 2012	No, ID	I'd be willing to reconsider my vote on this record if more information were submited. But as it stands, I cannot vote to accept.

2012-15 Zone-tailed Hawk

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	15 May 2012	No, ID	Too much of this description sounds like a vulture. No description of tail banding. Extremely unlikely in this location.
Rick F.	2 Jun 2012	No, ID	Marginal description, some Zone-tailed Hawk characters accurately described, but no description of tail pattern, face pattern, cere, etc.
Steve H.	11 Jul 2012	No, ID	There was no mention of the tail pattern and color which is a key fieldmark.
Ryan O.	18 May 2012	No, ID	Description does not sufficiently eliminate Turkey Vulture.
Ron R.	27 May 2012	No, ID	Without a description of the tail and head, the record as written is not sufficient to eliminate turkey vulture.
Terry S..	18 May 2012	No, ID	There is not much to go on with this record. Key fied marks were not mentioned and I believe this may well be a Turkey Vulture.
Jack S..	15 May 2012	No, ID	Inadequate and inconsistent description!
Mark S.	14 May 2012	No, ID	Nothing in the description eliminates the most obvious similar species - Turkey Vulture. The "massive" size would not be appropriate for Zone-tailed, and the fact that the flight feathers were described as "gray" rather than barred strongly suggests that this was, indeed, a Turkey Vulture.
David W.	15 May 2012	No, ID	Sounds like a Tutkey vulture to me.

2012-16 Northern Parula

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	15 May 2012	Acc
Rick F.	2 Jun 2012	Acc	Nice record
Steve H.	11 Jul 2012	Acc
Ryan O.	18 May 2012	Acc
Ron R.	27 May 2012	Acc	Sufficient description and photos to eliminate other species including tropical parula.
Terry S..	18 May 2012	Acc	Convincing photos
Jack S..	15 May 2012	Acc	Great description and photographs!
Mark S.	14 May 2012	Acc	Excellent description and decent photos all support the i.d.
David W.	15 May 2012	Acc

2012-17 Eastern Meadowlark

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	22 May 2012	No, ID	There is insufficient information to accept this as Eastern Meadowlark. There is no mention of the song, which is by far the best way to identify this species. The pictures are of poor quality, but what one can see would suggest to me that Western Meadowlark is more likely. The bird appears too pale to be an Eastern, and it is difficult to tell if the Yellow of the throat extends into the malar area, but it almost looks like it does.
Rick F.	2 Jun 2012	No, ID	No description or the definitive characters separating Eastern and Western Meadowlark; face pattern, tail pattern, etc.
Steve H.	11 Jul 2012	No, ID	Amount of black on breastband varies and is not a key mark. No mention of tail pattern and song was not heard, both of which are key to ID.
Ryan O.	11 Jun 2012	No, ID	Description does not eliminate Western Meadowlark.
Ron R.	18 Jun 2012	No, ID	While there might be evidence for a white malar stripe in Photo A', the lack of streaking on the sides in Photo C" suggests strongly that this bird is a Western meadowlark. While the observer indicated the bird was vocal, no description was given. Vocalizations would be necessary to ID this bird as an Eastern.
Terry S..	29 May 2012	No, ID	The black patch can very on both the Eastern and Western Meadowlark. Other critical field marks to evaluate are description of the facial markings and the flanks. Most critical is vocalization pattern which is important in distinguishing the two species.
Jack S..	5,17 Jun 2012	No, ID	Insufficient detail to distinguish from Western Meadowlark.
Mark S.	21 May 2012	No, ID	Vocalizations were heard, but not described. Photos inconclusive, but seem to show yellow on the throat more widely distributed onto the sides of the throat than should be the case for Eastern. The single mark used by the observer is of questionable usefulness as a sole field mark, especially for someone with no experience. The photos don't show anything out of the normal range of variation for a Western Meadowlark.
David W.	23 May 2012	No, ID	Without an analysis of the voice, there is not enough here to eliminate the vastly more common Western meadowlark.

2012-18 Tennessee Warbler

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	22 May 2012	Acc	Great find and definitive photos certainly help with this species.
Rick F.	2 Jun 2012	Acc
Steve H.	11 Jul 2012	Acc	Good photos and description
Ryan O.	11 Jun 2012	Acc
Ron R.	18 Jun 2012	Acc	bold supercillium and white undertail coverts clinch this ID. Nice photos.
Terry S..	29 May 2012	Acc
Jack S..	29 May 2012	Acc
Mark S.	21 May 2012	Acc	Excellent documentation.
David W.	23 May 2012	Acc

2012-19 Bronzed Cowbird

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	31 May 2012	Acc	This is a very marginal photo, but, along with the description, I feel it is adequate to confirm the Id.
Rick F.	2 Jun 2012	Acc	Brief sighting, however, I agree the red eye is detectable when photo is zoomed beyond resolution
Steve H.	11 Jul 2012	Acc	Shape and color fit this species.
Ryan O.	11 Jun 2012	Acc
Ron R.	18 Jun 2012	Acc	While the photos are not great, the red eye, heavy bill, and overall black coloration are evident in the first photo. Vocalization consistent with this species.
Terry S..	13 Jun 2012	Acc	While the photos are of marginal quality, I believe this is a bronzed Cowbird.
Jack S..	19 Jun 2012	Acc	I'm a little tentative on this record but the bill shape/size (relative the head), head shape/size, and proportionately short tail are right for this species. Unless the apparent red color of the eye is an artifact of the photography, this is also consistent with Bronzed Cowbird. Although I'm not familiar with this species song, the description match songs found in The Birds of North America Online. This species breeds south of Washington Country, UT in AZ & CA.
Mark S.	23 May 2012	Acc	Both the description and the photo here are marginal, that I think is indicative of an instinct birders have today to take a picture first and look at the bird second. I looked at the pictures first, and came to the conclusion that it could be a Bronzed Cowbird, and noted the hint of a red eye. I thought, surely, then, the observer will have noted the red eye in the field, and we can have a clean record. But, of course, I was disappointed because the observer didn't notice the red eye except in the photo, where it's of marginal clarity. What to do? Looking back the photo, the overall shape of the bird, along with the bill shape, is appropriate for Bronzed Cowbird, and not so much for either Brown-headed Cowbird, or other blackbirds. So given the structural features visible in the photo, the observer's note of no brown head, and the hint of a red eye, I'll give a reluctant vote of acceptance. Perhaps another committee member will be less charitable and send this to second round. I'll be interested to see the others' opinions of this.
David W.	30 May 2012	Acc	The photos show the short tail and broad bulge in the "shoulder" area characteristic of this species.

2012-20 Glossy Ibis

Evaluator	Date	Vote	Comment
Bob B.	31 May 2012	No, ID	Need more details than this to confirm identification.
Rick F.	2 Jun 2012	No, ID	Description too brief to evalaute
Steve H.	11 Jul 2012	No, ID	There is nothing in the description to support Glossy Ibis and no photos.
Ryan O.	11 Jun 2012	No, ID	Description does not eliminate immature White-faced Ibis or hybrids.
Ron R.	18 Jun 2012	No, ID	There is insufficient detail to eliminate white-faced ibis or hybrid. Not all white-faced individuals have a red face in May. Details about the eye color, color and pattern of pale facial lines is needed to solidify glossy ibis ID.
Terry S..	13 Jun 2012	No, ID	Without photos more detail is needed in describing the bird to separate from a white-faced ibis
Jack S..	6 Jun 2012	No, ID
Mark S.	25 May 2012	No, ID	No photo, and little description. I think we need more to go on than the simple statement, "White faced ibis has red lore while Glossy ibis has black lore." That statement is true, but we're left to assume that the bird in question had a black lore. And none of the other potential field marks were noted. I just don't think there's enough here to accept this record.
David W.	30 May 2012	No, ID	I need more description to evaluate before accepting this record. It is unfortunate that the observer, who watched the bird for an impressive two hours, only noted one differentiating field mark. I am also curious how the observer was able to determine the sex of the bird, unless he did so by size relative to some White-faced ibises nearby [The Birds of North America Online describes the species as "Sexually monomorphic in plumage, but female smaller."].