Hi All, I couldn't agree more on how important it is to document rare bird sightings. My discovery of a Long-tailed Jaeger on Hoover Reservoir was the start of my involvement with the Ohio Ornithological Society. The Ohio Birds Record Committee is a sub-committee of the OOS and there is a very user friendly form available on our website. I have included the link below. If you are unable to download the form in Adobe, there is also a Word document that you can print out and send to Ned Keller, Secretary for the OBRC. http://www.ohiobirds.org/records/docform.pdf Good Birding to Everyone! Jen President, Ohio Ornithological Society "Ohio's Birding Network" www.ohiobirds.org On 5/30/12 4:54 PM, "Haans Petruschke" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Hi, > >Bills post on this subject raises the importance of documenting review >list >species. I think too often we assume the person or people who originally >found the rare bird will properly document their record. The rest of of >us >ask why bother assuming others will have done so? > >How many of us posted success having seen the Black-tailed Gull, or Say's >Pheobe, White-Winged Dove, Fish Crow, or Least Tern, and never sent a >report to the OBRC? ( We are now all ineligible for either nomination or a >positive vote from Bill (wink)) > >On the other hand the OBRC needs to take some responsibility in this. If >insufficient documentation has been received, the secretary can solicit >this from the person(s) who originally found the bird or in a general >manner such as this forum. > >There is another problem too. How many actually know how to write up a >report or where to submit it? If you Google Ohio Bird Records Committee, >the link will take you to a page with very intimidating >language explaining what you should do. In other words it is not a very >user friendly process for those who have little or no experience with this >sort of thing. > >In reality it is easy. If you have a diagnostic photo, send it to the >secretary of the committee with a statement like this: > >Here is a picture of the (insert bird) I saw and photographed at (insert >place) on (insert date and time) >Include your name and contact information. > >It is nice if you also include a little about the equipment you used, >distance, etc, but if you are submitting a photo no one will actually pay >any attention to that. > >It gets more complicated if the photo is non diagnostic or if you have no >photo. (if the photo is non diagnostic better to *not* include it because >in such cases the photo is all that matters and the description of what >you >saw is often ignored. You can just mention that no diagnostic photos were >taken) In these situations you really do have to submit a detailed report >that covers all the bases. Include sketches, why similar species were >eliminated, etc. It is time consuming but not having a photo does not >mean the record will be rejected. If it is a good bird worth reporting, >and you or your group are the only ones to see it. It should be >documented. I have had several so called sight records accepted by >various >state records committees. > >Finally don't worry about your reputation. Unless you lie, say you saw >something you really didn't see, make stuff up, etc. everyone is entitled >to the benefit of the doubt. One of Ohio's top birders, Tom Bartlett, >likes >to say: "If I had a nickle for every report I've had rejected by the OBRC >I >would be a rich man." The OBRC can't question what you saw or pass >judgement on your skills, They can only decide if there is sufficient >evidence to include the sighting in the records. > >Yes please do the *right* thing, and document review list sightings, >especially of you or your group are the only ones who see the bird. > >Haans Petruschke >Kirtland > >______________________________________________________________________ > >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]