Drue & all--
    You say "When I report my sightings to older birders, they are
skeptical, because I am young." Well, those sound like some
narrow-minded birders. With 14 years of birding experience you may have
more than they. True, no 18-year old has 50 years of experience, but 14
years should be more than enough to qualify one to identify the common
birds of one's surroundings.
    Hermit thrushes, catbirds, and brown thrashers are indeed unusual--I
think your word is apt--in winter in these parts, but they are seen
often enough--in appreciable numbers every year--that reports of them
shouldn't automatically result in skepticism. A reported winter
bobolink--particularly one identifiable as a male--on the other hand, is
extremely rare, so rare that no one should be surprised if others raise
eyebrows (both, not just one, if you know what I mean) and ask for
details--no matter how old they, or you, are.
    Ohio has only a handful of bobolink records for CBCs, and because by
that time bobolinks have been in South America for a month or more these
records are presumably backed up by accepted documentation. As for
sexing a December bobolink, the best criterion is that the males average
20% larger. This can be difficult to apply in the field, of course.
     I recall some of Ohio's birders, many of them now well-respected in
the field, used to sign their internet posts with both name and age when
they were in their teens. There's no special reason one's age need be
obvious from the contents of one's message, but perhaps one reason they
did so was a desire to be cut some slack. Or perhaps they were just
thumping their chests. Fair enough either way, but overall I'd advise
folks in general  to take advantage of the relative anonymity of the
internet and let your reports--and what you might need to back them
up--speak for themselves.
    I am somewhat embarrassed young birders feel they need age-based
clubs at all.  Are age groups acting unwelcoming to one another?  Are
there "young butterflyers' clubs", "young surfers' clubs," or "young
stamp collectors' clubs?" I suppose so, but I can't help regretting the
necessity.  If you have to have them, go for it. I admit I feel even
more ambivalent about young birders' clubs that are founded and
sustained and hoorayed by older birders, though, and often wonder how
young birders really feel about that.
    Anyway, one really expeditious way to acquire experience without
years and years of trial and error to acquire it is to use the published
works.  Written by birders with lots of experience, they are a shortcut
to expertise. Frequent reading of Peterjohn's "The Birds of Ohio" and
the "Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Ohio" from the Ohio Bird
Records Committee (or equivalent works in other states) will teach what
species are normal/unusual/rare/absent at any time of the year.
Bill Whan
Columbus

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