Bill - you're a real piece of work. And that's putting it VERY mildly. Carlton SchooleyStrasburg (Tuscarawas) On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, 5:27:00 PM EST, Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Carlton-- Thanks for the references. I'm less than happy with off-hand references to OKs offered by unknown persons. The Baird's sparrow, backed up by Trautman, is another matter, also because a specimen was involved. Your search through Peterjohn will avail you nothing on the tern. These days species are not added without data; if there are photos or descriptions at least they should be available. Peterjohn need not repeat these data, but the should be made available, and the Bird Records Committee would be a good place to keep them; otherwise you will have to look--not through your Peterjohn--to find them. Why not store them at the OBRC? Thanks, Bill On 1/30/2018 4:29 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote: > I'm sure that, besides the lack of captivity issue and the seasonal > movements in SA issue, there must have been persuasive field notes... > There are several other species on the Ohio state list for which > there is no photo or specimen. Or for which there was no photo or > specimen for the first accepted record. One that comes immediately > to mind is Baird's Sparrow. I'd have to look through my Peterjohn to > find the others... Carlton SchooleyStrasburg (Tuscarawas) > > > On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, 3:43:31 PM EST, Bill Whan > <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > I have always been troubled with the acceptance of the Large-billed > Tern to the Ohio list. There is no specimen, no photograph, and no > precedence. It was reported seen by three observers on a sandbar in > Mahoning County on 29 May 1954. It was said to have been the second > appearance of this species in North America (the other was from 1949 > in Illinois); I am taking this information from "The Birds of Ohio" > and there have been other reports I haven't seen). Reported supports > of the ID were that the species was unknown in captivity and its > appearance corresponds with its seasonal movements in south America > (all data from Peterjohn, "The Birds of Ohio." p. 250). Lots of > birders' reports of far less rare species are rejected for lack of a > photo or a specimen, yet this occurrence seems to have been accepted. > The Birds of Ohio states that large-billed tern reports here have > been questioned, while this occurrence was accepted because the > species is "unknown in captivity and its appearance in Ohio > correspondences with its seasonal movements in South America." The > occurrence lacks hard evidence and I wonder why this far-fetched > appearance, lacking persuasive evidence, is still regarded as > legitimate. If there a better set of hard evidence, where is it? Why > has it been accepted to the Ohio list, when others with just as > unlikely have been laughed off? Bill Whan Columbus > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological > Society. Please consider joining our Society, at > www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University > for hosting this mailing list. > > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > listserv.miamioh.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. Please consider joining our Society, at > www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University > for hosting this mailing list. > > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > listserv.miamioh.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. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]