Documents • Iowa State University • Avian Archives of Iowa Online

Title	Genres	Topics	Date (Start)	Date (End)	Type	Description	Creator/Author	Birds	Locations	Locality	Habitat	Remarks

Neil Bernstein letter to James J. Dinsmore regarding personal papers, summer 1988	Correspondence Field notes	Bird watching Birds--Research Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-06-01	1988-07-31	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	Neil Bernstein is interested in Jim's personal papers regarding photography measurement studies and species population wetland studies. The letter also includes bird sightings. This item was used as supporting documentation for the Iowa Ornithologists Union Quarterly field report of summer 1988.	Bernstein, Neil	American White Pelican Black-crowned Night Heron American Coot	Dan Green Slough Wildlife Management Area Jemmerson Slough Wildlife Management Area Rush Lake				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	23	6
Neil Bernstein letter to James J. Dinsmore regarding aerial photographs, June 12, 1988	Correspondence Field notes	Bird watching Birds--Research Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-06-12	N/A	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	Neil Bernstein letter to James J. Dinsmore requesting aerial photographs of Rush Lake and Dan Green Slough Wildlife Management Area. The letter includes two bird sightings. This item was used as supporting documentation for the Iowa Ornithologists Union Quarterly field report of summer 1988.	Bernstein, Neil	Common Moorhen White-throated Sparrow	Jemmerson Slough Wildlife Management Area Iowa Lakeside Laboratory				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	23	6
Record Committee review for rare bird sighting of Purple Gallinule north of Burlington, 1988	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-06-21	1994-02-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Purple Gallinule north of Burlington in Des Moines County, IA on June 21, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes, an article in Iowa Bird Life, and three documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Cecil, Robert I.	Purple Gallinule	Burlington	Just north of Burlington in Des Moines County, Iowa	Recently flooded farm pond with emergent vegetation, dead trees and shrubs.	The documentation form by Robert Cecil is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Jim Fuller, and Diane Porter were submitted later. Other observers include Elizabeth Chrstiansen, Chuck Fuller, Jane Fuller, Gary Wagner, Cal Knight, and Michael Porter. \| Elimination of similar species: Common Moorhen slate-colored, not purple, and has red, not blue frontal shield. This bird was pretty unmistakable. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 07:30:00/08:00:00 on June 21, 1988 and 13:30:00/14:00:00 on June 28, 1988.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	9	14
Mark D. Bro letter to James J. Dinsmore regarding photographs of a Short-eared Owl and an unusual Northern Cardinal, August 1, 1988	Correspondence	Ornithology--Societies, etc Photography of birds	1988-08-01	N/A	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	Mark D. Bro letter to James J. Dinsmore regarding photographs of a Short-eared Owl and a white-headed Northern Cardinal. The photographs are not included with the letter. This item was used as supporting documentation for the Iowa Ornithologists Union Quarterly field report of summer 1988.	Bro, Mark D.	Northern Cardinal Short-eared Owl	Tama County Montour				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	23	6
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Red Knot at Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge, 1988	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-08-05	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Red Knot at Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge in Kossuth County, IA on August 5, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Red Knot	Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge	Union Slough NWR, Kossuth Co.	feeding on large mud area with thousands of shorebirds	The documentation form by Steve Dinsmore is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: The reddish color on the underparts eliminates all shorebirds except Red Knot, Curlew Sandpiper, and Sanderling. The pale legs and bill shape eliminate Curlew Sandpiper. The larger size, bill shape, and pale legs eliminate Sanderling. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 08:40:00/10:30:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	1
Opal Uher letter to James J. Dinsmore regarding a request to purchase a Peter C. Petersen publication, August 9, 1988	Correspondence Field notes	Bird feeders Bird watching Birds--Nests Birds--Research Ornithology--Societies, etc Birds--Infancy	1988-08-09	N/A	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	Opal Uher letter to James J. Dinsmore regarding a request to purchase a copy of a publication by Peter C. Petersen. The letter includes field notes on House Finch nesting. This item was used as supporting documentation for the Iowa Ornithologists Union Quarterly field report of summer 1988.	Uher, Opal	House Finch	Waterloo				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	23	6
Bruce G. Peterjohn letter to James J. Dinsmore requesting additional field note data, August 15, 1988	Correspondence Field notes	Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-08-15	N/A	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	Bruce G. Peterjohn letter to James J. Dinsmore requesting additional field note information including a Bald Eagle nest location. This item was used as supporting documentation for the Iowa Ornithologists Union Quarterly field report of summer 1988. This letter relates to https://avian.lib.iastate.edu/documents/4241/view.	Peterjohn, Bruce G.	Bald Eagle	Iowa				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	23	6
James J. Dinsmore letter to Bruce G. Peterjohn with additional summer field note information, August 17, 1988	Correspondence Field notes	Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-08-17	N/A	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	James J. Dinsmore letter to Bruce G. Peterjohn responding to a request for additional field note information including a Bald Eagle nest location. This item was used as supporting documentation for the Iowa Ornithologists Union Quarterly field report of summer 1988. This letter is a reply to https://avian.lib.iastate.edu/documents/4243/view.	Dinsmore, James J.	Bald Eagle	Fremont County Iowa Sioux City				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	23	6
Big Bluestem Flyer, Volume 23, Number 1, September 1988	Newsletters	Bird watching Ornithology--Societies, etc Wildlife conservation Acid rain	1988-09-01	1988-09-30	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	The newsletter of the Big Bluestem Audubon Society (Ames, Iowa), Volume 23, Number 1, September 1988. Highlights of the newsletter include the announcement of a program "Birding the Red Rock Reservoir" by Dr. Gladys Black, an acid rain update by Mike Meetz, a report on the progress of the society's annual service project at East River Valley Park, and a calendar of society events and field trips for September 1988 through July 1989.	Edwards, David C. Big Bluestem Audubon Society (Ames, Iowa)		Ames River Valley Park				Big Bluestem Audubon Society \| MS 592	3	4
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting for Pine Warbler at Greenfield Township in Warren County, 1988	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-09-02	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Pine Warbler at Greenfield Township in Warren County, IA on September 2, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes and a documentation form with an addendum submitted to the committee.	Johnson, Ann	Pine Warbler	Greenfield Township	My Yard - small acreage in northern Warren County, IA	Mixed open woods and field edge with creek and many shrubs	The documentation form by Ann Johnson is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: Yellow-throated Vireo - warbler bill; light streaking on sides; light eyering evident as opposed to spectacles Blackburnian Warbler - face pattern wrong Blackpoll - no distinct eyeline; head and back more olive Other warblers - combination of field marks \| The original documentation form event lasted from 16:00:00/16:45:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	13	20
Robert I. Cecil letter to James J. Dinsmore regarding a report on the Purple Gallinule, September 9, 1988	Correspondence	Birds--Research Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-09-09	N/A	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	Robert I. Cecil letter to James J. Dinsmore responding to a request to write a short field note on the Purple Gallinule. This item was submitted past the deadline for the Iowa Ornithologists Union Quarterly Report of summer 1988.	Cecil, Robert I.	Purple Gallinule	Iowa				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	23	6
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting for Prairie Warbler at Greenfield Township in Warren County, 1988	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-09-14	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Prairie Warbler at Greenfield Township in Warren County, IA on September 14, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes and a documentation form with an addendum submitted to the committee.	Johnson, Ann	Prairie Warbler	Greenfield Township	My Yard - small acreage in northern Warren County, IA	Mixed open woods and field edge with creek and many shrubs	The documentation form with an addendum by Ann Johnson is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: Palm Warbler - no streaking on breast; chestnut cap not evident; streaking was black; breeding plumage unlikely on this date Pine Warbler - belly and undertail coverts bright yellow; wingbars not as distinct as the wing was not as dark nor the bars as white: streaking on the sides darker than a pine [...] Magnolia Warbler - Magnolia's body and wings too dark; adult eliminated because of no streaking on breast (only sides) and no black facial mask; immature does not have heavy enough streaking nor yellow extending up the face and around the eye far enough and the wingbars are too contrasting (black and white) Cape May Warbler - vibrant yellow undertail coverts would seem to by and large eliminate the Cape May, especially when combined with no streaking on the breast and belly; wing bars were two distinct pale yellowish markings, not white or blotched together Blackburnian Warbler - unstreaked back; no distinct cheek patch; no white wing bars on dark wings Blackpoll/Bay-breasted Warbler - unstreaked back; primary identification of fall blackpoll is white undertail coverts which eliminates this bird immediately. Also this complex normally has more distinct white wing bars on darker wings and the streaking on the sides is not the stark black on brilliant yellow but a more muted yellowish wash. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 18:45:00/18:45:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	13	22
Iowa Birdline update, September 19, 1988	Field notes	Bird watching Accipitridae \| Hawks and Eagles Ornithology--Societies, etc Rare birds Parulidae \| Warblers Meetings Dial-a-message telephone calls	1988-09-19	N/A	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	Notes for the Iowa Birdline update for September 19, 1988. Highlights of the update include a recap of sightings from the fall IOU meeting, including a flyover Black-billed Magpie, nine raptor species, and a variety of Warblers for a total of 106 species seen. Also of note from around the state were observations of two rarely seen birds, a Western Tanager and a Prairie Falcon. In addition, sightings of several hundred American White Pelicans, 62 Caspian Terns, and an immature Black-crowned Night Heron were also reported.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union Fuller, James L	Swainson's Hawk Prairie Falcon Western Tanager Clay-colored Sparrow Carolina Wren American White Pelican Black-billed Magpie Forster's Tern Black-crowned Night Heron Caspian Tern Winter Wren Pine Warbler Sharp-shinned Hawk	Hendrickson Marsh Lake Iowa City Saylorville Lake Spencer Dolliver Memorial State Park Rush Lake Brushy Creek State Park Carlson Recreation Area Sugar Bottom Recreation Area				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	41	1
Records Committee review for bird sighting of Magnificent Frigatebird at Clear Lake, 1988	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-09-25	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Magnificent Frigatebird at Clear Lake in Gordo County, IA on September 25, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes, articles from American Birds and Iowa Bird Life, and nine documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Walter, Janice L.	Magnificent Frigatebird	Clear Lake	Crane Street on south shore of Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa	Residential area on wooded lakeshore	The documentation form by Jan L. Walter is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Steve Dinsmore, Jim Dinsmore, Peter Petersen, Beth Proescholdt, Mark Proescholdt, Jim Fuller, Thomas H. Kent, and Mike Thomas were submitted later. Other observers include Joel Hanes, Daryl Hansen, Patricia Hansen, Jim Walter, Mary Lou Petersen, Ann Barker, Francis Moore, Eugene Armstrong, Eloise Armstrong, Bob Myers, Jim Sinclair, and Beth Brown. \| Elimination of similar species: Size, wing length and shape, long forked tail, white breast on an otherwise all black bird are diagnostic of female Magnificent Frigatebird. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 11:20:00/11:26:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	7	15
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Pomarine Jaeger at Saylorville Reservoir, 1988	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-09-28	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of two Pomarine Jaegers at Saylorville Reservoir in Polk County, IA on September 28, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes, an article in Iowa Bird Life, and six documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Pomarine Jaeger	Saylorville Lake	Saylorville Reservoir, Polk Co.-south end of lake	resting and feeding on large reservoir	The documentation form by Steve Dinsmore is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Bob Myers, Thomas H. Kent, Peter C. Petersen, Beth Proescholdt, and Mark Proescholdt were submitted later. Other observers include Babs Padelford, Loren Padelford, Jim Sinclair, Bery Engebretsen, Eugene Armstrong, Eloise Armstrong, Jim Dinsmore, Jim Fuller, Brian Blevins, and many unidentified other observers. \| Elimination of similar species: The gull-like shape, dark color, and white wing patches eliminate all birds except Jaegers. The large size compared to Ring-billed Gulls, heavy build, large, thick bill, prominent white patches on the upper and under surface on the wings, and the presence of a second white "crescent" on the underwing at the base of the primary coverts eliminate both Parasitic and Long-tailed Jaegers. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 12:24:00/14:46:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	15
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Jaeger species at Saylorville Reservoir, 1988	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-09-28	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Jaeger species at Saylorville Reservoir in Polk County, IA on September 28, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Armstrong, Eloise	Jaegers	Saylorville Lake	Saylorville Lake	Lake	The documentation form by Eloise Armstrong is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Eugene Armstrong and Steve Dinsmore. \| Elimination of similar species: [...] Bigger than a coot that he made 3 passes at and tried to kill. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 14:00:00/15:00:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	13
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Parasitic Jaeger at Saylorville Reservoir, 1988	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-09-29	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Parasitic Jaeger at Saylorville Reservoir in Polk County, IA on September 29, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Parasitic Jaeger	Saylorville Lake	Saylorville Reservoir, Polk Co.-south end of lake	flying over large reservoir	The documentation form by Steve Dinsmore is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Bery Engebretsen and Jim Sinclair. \| Elimination of similar species: The dark color and white patches on the wings eliminates all larids except jaegers. The noticeable amount of white on the wing, visible on the underside of the wing, eliminates Long-tailed Jaeger. The small size compared to a Ring-billed Gull, less prominent white on the wing, smaller bill size, and more rapid wing strokes eliminates Pomarine Jaeger. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 16:46:00/17:14:00 on September 29, 1988 and 10:15:00/10:35:00 on September 30, 1988.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	16
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Red Phalarope at Saylorville Reservoir, 1988	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-09-30	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Red Phalarope at Saylorville Reservoir in Polk County, IA on September 30, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes, an article in Iowa Bird Life, and ten documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Red Phalarope	Saylorville Lake	north end of Saylorville Reservoir, Polk Co.	swimming and wading in shallow water adjacent to large mudflat	The documentation form by Steve Dinsmore forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Bery Engebretsen, Mark Proescholdt, Beth Proescholdt, Andrew S. Fix, Jim Sinclair, James Dinsmore, Thomas H. Kent, Ann Johnson, and Mike Thomas were submitted. Other observers includes David Youngblut and Larry Morris. \| Elimination of similar species: The posture, behavior, and black and white color pattern rule out all shorebirds except phalaropes. The size, "hunchbacked" appearance, bill shape, head pattern, and unstreaked, gray upperparts eliminates Red-necked and Wilson's phalaropes. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 16:46:00/17:05:00 on September 30, 1988 and 14:12:00/16:05:00 on October 1, 1988.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	12
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Credit Island, 1988	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-09-30	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Credit Island in Scott County, IA on September 30, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes, an article in Iowa Bird Life, and two documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Petersen, Peter C.	Sharp-tailed Sandpiper	Credit Island	Credit Island Harbor seen from S. Concord St., Davenport, Scott Co	mud flat on Miss.	The documentation form by Peter C. Petersen forms the basis of this record. Another documentation form by Brian Blevins was submitted later. \| Elimination of similar species: Pectoral Sandpipers, available side-by-side, were slightly larger, legs & bill a bit longer than Sharp-tailed. White eyebrow on Pectorals did not broaden behind eye cap not as richly colored in Pectorals. Pectorals had streaking across buff breast wash uniformly to lower edge of buff. Back of Sharp-tailed seemed more uniformly rich brown than those of the Pectorals. Birds all departed downstream on Miss. before photos could be attempted. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 15:50:00/15:55:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	4
Big Bluestem Flyer, Volume 23, Number 2, October 1988	Newsletters	Bird watching Anseriformes \| Ducks, Geese, and Swans Accipitridae \| Hawks and Eagles Ornithology--Societies, etc Ornithology--Study and teaching Charadriiformes \| Shore-birds, Gulls, and Auks	1988-10-01	1988-10-31	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	The newsletter of the Big Bluestem Audubon Society (Ames, Iowa), Volume 23, Number 2, October 1988. Highlights of the newsletter include a report of a Pelican and Hawkwatch field trip to Saylorville Lake in which 60 species of birds were observed, an acid rain update by Mike Meetz, details on Audubon Adventures which is the youth program of the National Audubon Society, and a calendar of events for the fall of 1988.	Edwards, David C. Big Bluestem Audubon Society (Ames, Iowa)	American White Pelican	Ames Jester Park Saylorville Lake				Big Bluestem Audubon Society \| MS 592	3	4
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Magnificent Frigatebird at Red Rock Reservoir, 1988	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc Wildlife conservation	1988-10-02	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Record Committee review of a Magnificent Frigatebird at Red Rock Reservoir in Marion County on October 2, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes, an article from Iowa Bird Life, an introductory letter from Ann Johnson, and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	DeVore, Dawn L.	Magnificent Frigatebird	Lake Red Rock	Behind Visitor Center at Lake Red Rock, Marion Co., IA	Freshwater lake shore	The documentation form by Dawn L. DeVore is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: After getting the bird book, I took my knowledge of the birds in the area and my mental picture and went to work. I ruled out the turkey vulture because the bird was too streamlined like a tern. I looked at the terns, soon realizing that there were no almost completely black terns. Thus I turned to the gulls. I knew it had to be a water area type bird because of its body and bill shape. Remembering the bill I quickly ruled out the gulls. Thus I turned to the cormorants but the tail was wrong, the neck was too long and more so the cormorant was out of the picture. Thinking I recalled hearing about a sighting of a rare bird in Iowa, only the night before had I looked at an outline of its body shape. Bingo! That was it! The shapes matched but what was the name? I went through the bird section page by page. Then there it was - the Magnificent Frigatebird. This was it; almost all black, large yet streamlined, "forked" or V shaped "tail", and that unique bill. Then the fact that the bird I saw had no red and two side by side white breast areas confirmed that it was a female Magnificent Frigatebird. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 12:45:00/12:50:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	7	15
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Magnificent Frigatebird at Red Rock Reservoir, 1988	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc Wildlife conservation	1988-10-03	1996-04-24	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Magnificent Frigatebird at Red Rock Reservoir in Marion County, IA on October 3, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes, an article Iowa Bird Life, two pages from Iowa Birdlife by Gladys Black, internal correspondence on the sighting, and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Youngblut, David	Magnificent Frigatebird	Lake Red Rock	Red Rock Reservoir	Lake	The documentation form by David Youngblut is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Gladys Black. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 17:00:00/17:30:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	7	15
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Western Sandpiper at Saylorville Reservoir, 1988	Administrative records Correspondence Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-10-08	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Western Sandpiper at Saylorville Reservoir in Polk County, IA on October 8, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes, correspondence about the bird sighting, and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Western Sandpiper	Saylorville Lake	Saylorville Reservoir, Polk Co.-north end of reservoir	feeding in shallow water adjacent to mudflat with other shorebirds	The documentation form by Steve Dinsmore is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Andy Fix. \| Elimination of similar species: see above [...] The bird was roughly 25% smaller than a Pectoral Sandpiper. [...] Note that we saw a single Semipalmated Sandpiper in the same flock of shorebirds. The Semipalmated Sandpiper had a shorter, thicker bill, more of a brown wash on the breast, and frequented the edge of the mudflat rather than wading in the water. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 15:30:00/16:45:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	3
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Western Sandpiper at Big Creek Lake, 1988	Administrative records Correspondence Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-10-09	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Western Sandpiper at Big Creek Lake in Polk County, IA on October 9, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes, correspondence about the sighting by Guy McCaskie, Kim Eckert, and Bruce Peterjohn, and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Johnson, Ann	Western Sandpiper	Big Creek Lake	Big Creek Wildlife Area, Polk Co., IA	Mudflats from low water on freshwater lake	The documentation form by Ann Johnson is only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Mike Thomas. \| Elimination of similar species: Although I understand the difficulty in identification of fall western sandpipers, the Baird's and white-rumped were eliminated because of wing length. The least sandpiper was eliminated by leg color and bill shape/size. The most difficult elimination was that of the semipalmateds, especially since other semipals were present in the area. After careful observation and comparison, however, the prototypical western sandpiper bill was too obvious to make the bird into a semipalmated. The bill was enough longer and had an obvious droop. The others in the area had varying bill sizes but none had the general shape of this bird. Consequently, I believe this was a late date western sandpiper. \| The original documentation form event lasted from approximately 15:00:00/15:10:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	3
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Sabine's Gull near Jester Park at Saylorville Reservoir, 1988	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-10-20	1993-08-04	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Sabine's Gull near Jester Park at Saylorville Reservoir in Polk County, IA on October 20, 1988. Includes a record review document with votes, an article in Iowa Bird Life, and two documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Sabine's Gull	Jester Park	near the Jester Park area of Saylorville Reservoir, Polk Co.	resting on large mud bar on reservoir	The documentation form by Steve Dinsmore forms the basis of this record. Another documentation form by Robert Myers was submitted. \| Elimination of similar species: The size, grayish upperparts, and striking wing pattern eliminate all other gulls. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 16:05:00/17:50:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	11	9