California birders, The California Bird Records Committee (CBRC) will begin reviewing the following records in early May. If you have any documentation to submit for these records, please do so as soon as possible. Feel free to forward this request to local
listservs as appropriate. Thank you. Tom Thomas A. Benson Secretary, California Bird Records Committee 2017-139 Garganey 25 Nov 2017-11 Mar 2018 Waller Park SBA (documentation from 5 observers – additional documentation requested) 2017-142 Black-headed Gull 27 Nov 2017 Pt. Pinos MTY (documentation complete) 2017-143 Black-headed Gull 5-9 Dec 2017 North Shore RIV (eBird reports – no documentation received) 2017-154 Black-headed Gull 9 Dec 2017 Modesto WTP STA (eBird report – no documentation received) 2018-022 Black-tailed Gull 11 Feb-11 Mar 2018 Crescent City DN (documentation from 5 observers – additional documentation requested) 2017-175 Arctic Loon 16 Dec 2017 Pt. Pinos MTY (documentation complete) 2018-015 Arctic Loon 26 Jan-18 Feb 2018 Abbotts Lagoon MRN (documentation from 3 observers – additional documentation requested) 2018-021 Arctic Loon 2 Feb 2018 Steamer Lane SCZ (documentation complete) 2017-155 Nazca Booby (4) 11 Dec 2017-present San Diego Bay SD (documentation from 15 observers – additional documentation requested) 2018-010 Nazca Booby 16 Jan 2018 near Ocean Beach SD (documentation complete) 2017-094 Tricolored Heron (2) 25 Sep 2017-present Bolsa Chica ORA (documentation from 7 observers – additional documentation requested) 2017-096 Tricolored Heron 25-26 Sep 2017 Santa Ana R. ORA (documentation from 2 observers – additional documentation requested) 2017-113 Black Vulture 14-22 Oct 2017 Pt. Reyes MRN (eBird reports – no documentation received) 2018-016 Gyrfalcon 3 Feb-4 Mar 2018 Pajaro R. mouth MTY/SCZ (documentation from 7 observers – additional documentation requested) 2018-011 Winter Wren 2 Jan-20 Feb 2018 Pt. San Pablo CC (documentation from 1 observer – additional documentation requested) 2018-014 Winter Wren 28 Jan 2018 Orr Ranch SAC (eBird report – no documentation received) 2018-009 Curve-billed Thrasher 6 Jan-18 Feb 2018 Woodland YOL (documentation from 9 observers – additional documentation requested) 2018-013 Field Sparrow 26 Jan 2018 Half Moon Bay SM (eBird report – no documentation received) 2017-168 Louisiana Waterthrush 23 Dec 2017-14 Jan 2018 Big Sur R. MTY (documentation from 2 observers – additional documentation requested) 2018-001 Tropical Parula 5 Jan-14 Feb 2018 Huntington Beach ORA (documentation from 11 observers – additional documentation requested) What kind of documentation should one submit to the CBRC Following are some guidelines for submitting media and written descriptions that will be useful for helping the CBRC evaluate records and archive documentation. Documentation may
be submitted directly to the secretary via email ( secretary@... ) , or by using the online submission form ( http://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html ). Media: This includes photos, audio recordings, and video. Photographs are usually the most useful documentation for evaluating records. If you have reasonably good (=identifiable) photos, please submit them. If possible, please crop the
photos before submission so that the bird fills most of the frame. Also, please send originals whenever possible, and not screenshots or back-of-camera photos. How many photos should you submit That really depends on the record. If it is a long-staying rarity
that is easily identifiable and seen by dozens of people, then a few photos (1-3 per person) are sufficient. If it is a mega-rarity that is difficult to identify and only seen by a one or few people, then send as many photos as possible that show the bird
at different angles, postures, lighting, etc. Sometimes it is also useful to submit audio and/or video recordings of the bird, as some birds are more easily identified by their vocalizations. If relatively short, most audio recordings are small enough to be
submitted via email; please submit those along with a brief note indicating the date and location of the recording. Large audio files and video files can be submitted by using a file sharing service; please contact the secretary if you need to submit a file
that is too large for email. Written descriptions: Some written details should always be provided – even the best photos should be accompanied by the name of the observer, the date, and the location, at a minimum. Sometimes a photo can’t be obtained or vocalizations
can’t be recorded. In some cases, behaviors might be noted in the field that aren’t preserved well by photos. In these cases, it is helpful to submit a written description of the bird. Ideally, this description should be written as soon after observing the
bird as possible; it is often helpful to make written notes in the field, or even dictate notes into the voice recorder on your smartphone while observing the bird, from which you can later generate a written description. The most important aspect of a written
description is that you report only what you observed, and not a general description of the bird from a field guide. At a minimum, your description should include the date and location of the observation, and a description of the bird (size and structure,
plumage, vocalizations, behavior). A brief discussion of how the bird was identified, and how similar species were eliminated is also helpful. Other useful information you might report includes optics used, distance from bird, lighting or weather conditions,
length of time viewed, and other observers present. |