ROFLHO!!! My thanks to Everyone for such a lovely distractation from a wet dreary day! Gotta love BRID WCHRS!! -Steve A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce M. Bowman" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 1:37 PM Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Putative Ohio species >A 29-character code doesn't quite capture Middendorff's Grasshopper- > Warbler, but I agree that MIDDENDORFFSGRASSHOPPERWAR is unique and almost > unambiguous. > > Bruce > > Date sent: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 08:24:44 -0400 > Send reply to: Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]> > From: Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: [Ohio-birds] Putative Ohio species > To: [log in to unmask] > >> Well, when we start to recycle the bird-name abbreviation issue (I know >> of >> a completely unambiguous 29-character system for North America I'm >> willing >> to share: it would be even shorter except for the pesky 'northern >> rough-winged swallow'), it's time to try something new. >> I read something the other day that suggested a series of posts, >> I >> hope >> informative and interesting, about Ohio records that would, had they not >> been forgotten, ignored, or disputed, have added new species to the state >> list. >> #1 is fish crow. On page 67 of "Birds of West Virginia. Bulletin >> #3 of >> the West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station," by W. D. Doan, >> published in Morgantown in 1888, appears the following entry: "FISH >> CROW. Corvus ossifragus. Resident. Rare. I saw two Fish Crows on >> Blennerhassett Island October 2. They were flying over the island to the >> Ohio side." >> In a quick look, this work looks like a conscientious compilation >> of >> its time. One slightly whacky thing I found is its inclusion of northern >> shrike and omission of loggerhead shrike. Fish crow has a firm place on >> today's West Virginia list, for many more reasons than this report; >> George >> Hall acknowledges it, accompanied by a bit of skepticism, in his "West >> Virginia Birds' (1983). >> Part of the reason Ohio doesn't have this species on its list >> involves >> ID problems far more difficult than those regarding shrikes. Fish crows >> are somewhat smaller than American crows, and there are some morphometric >> differences if you have the bird in hand. There are some behavioral clues >> that might lead one to look more closely, but for the most part one >> should >> rather listen more closely. Corvid expert Kevin McGowan has some >> excellent >> advice at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm . Most >> authorities seem to agree this species is slowly extending its range >> inland via major watercourses, and Doan's report supports the idea of >> being extra alert for this bird along the Ohio River. More on other >> species later, Bill Whan Columbus >> >> >> >> ______________________________________________________________________ >> >> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. >> Our >> thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional >> discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. >> >> You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: >> http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS >> Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at > www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]