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

Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Pomarine Jaeger at Saylorville Reservoir, 1996	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes Photographs	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1996-11-10	2000-11-22	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of three Pomarine Jaegers at Saylorville Reservoir in Polk County, IA on November 10, 1996. Includes a record review document with votes, five photographs, an article in Iowa Bird life, and two documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Pomarine Jaeger	Saylorville Lake	Saylorville Res. Polk Co., IA	large reservoir	The documentation form by Stephen J. Dinsmore is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Another documentation form by James J. Dinsmore was submitted later. \| Elimination of similar species: The dark coloration, gull-like shape, and white color in the primary shafts identified both birds as jaegers. Initially, I thought the bird I saw on the 10th was a Parasitic, mainly because of the size and seemingly bright, rust-colored underparts. However, better viewing conditions later showed that the underparts were instead a pale brown color and lacked any hint of rusty color. Long-tailed Jaeger was easily eliminated by size, shape of the central rectrices, and the greater amount of white in the wing. Parasitic Jaeger was more difficult to rule out. The combination of size, wing shape, amount of white in the wing, shape of the central rectrices, and bill size was used to rule out juvenile Parasitic Jaeger. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 09:35:00/12:33:00 on November 10, 1996 and 10:55:00/16:05:00 on November 11, 1996.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	15
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Eurasian Wigeon at Riverton Area, 1991	Administrative records Field notes Forms (documents)	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1991-03-06	1993-07-17	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Eurasian Wigeon at Riverton Area in Fremont County, IA on March 6, 1991. Includes a record review document with votes, an Iowa Bird Life article, and two documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Eurasian Wigeon	Riverton Wildlife Management Area	Riverton W.A., Fremont Co., IA		The documentation form by Stephen J. Dinsmore is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Another documentation form by Eugene Armstrong was submitted later. Other observers include Eloise Armstrong, and Ross Silcock \| Elimination of similar species: The combination of reddish head with buffy crown, gray mantle and flanks, black rump and undertail, and stubby, bluish-gray bill eliminates other waterfowl. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 10:35:00/11:05:00, 12:05:00/12:25:00, and 16:40:00/17:22:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	8	14
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Neotropic Cormorant at Little River Recreation Area, 1996	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes Photographs	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1996-05-04	2000-11-22	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Neotropic Cormorant at Little River Recreation Area in Decatur County, IA on May 4, 1996. Includes a record review document with votes, two photos, an article in Iowa Bird Life, and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Neotropic Cormorant	Little River Recreation Area	Little River Rec. Area	large reservoir with numerous dead snags	The documentation form by Stephen J. Dinsmore is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: My only concern was to adequately eliminate Double-crested Cormorant, many of which were available for direct comparisons. The size, tail length, and throat patch pattern all eliminate this species. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 14:25:00/15:50:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	7	12
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Laughing Gull at Runnells Wildlife Area, 1995	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes Photographs	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1995-09-03	2000-11-20	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Laughing Gull at Runnells Wildlife Area in Marion County, IA on September 3, 1995. Includes a record review document with votes, a photograph, an article in Iowa Bird Life, and three documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Laughing Gull	Red Rock Wildlife Area	1 mi e. of Swan, Marion Co. (Runnells W.A.)	shallow pool of water	The documentation form by Stephen J. Dinsmore forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Jim Sinclair and Thomas H. Kent were submitted. Other observers include Jim Fuller. \| Elimination of similar species: The only species this bird could be confused with was Franklin's Gull. The larger size, bill size, and head and wing patterns all eliminated Franklin's Gull. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 11:00:00/12:24:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	18
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Pomarine Jaeger at Red Rock Reservoir, 1996	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1996-11-16	2000-11-22	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for one to two Pomarine Jaegers at Red Rock Reservoir in Marion County, IA on November 16, 1996. Includes a record review document with votes, an article of Iowa Bird Life, and five documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Pomarine Jaeger	Lake Red Rock	Red Rock Res., Marion Co., IA	large lake	The documentation form by Stephen J. Dinsmore forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Jim Fuller, Thomas H. Kent, Chris Edwards, and Ray Cummins were submitted. Other observers include Tom Johnson, Dennis Henrickson, Jim Sinclair, and many unidentified other observers. \| Elimination of similar species: The size, shape, and white in the primaries ruled out all gull species. The combination of size, the large bill, large amount of white on the upperwing, white color in the underpirimary coverts, and blunt-tipped central rectrices rule out juvenile Long-tailed and Parasitic jaegers. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 13:12:00/13:55:00 on November 16, 1996 and 15:40:00/16:30:00 on November 27, 1996.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	15
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Mew Gull at Red Rock Reservoir Dam, 1997	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1997-12-20	2000-11-24	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Mew Gull at Red Rock Reservoir Dam in Marion County, IA on December 20, 1997. Includes a record review document with votes and two documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Mew Gull	Red Rock Dam	Red Rock Reservoir, Marion Co., IA	large reservoir	The documentation form by Stephen J. Dinsmore forms the basis of this record. Another documentation form by Michael D. Overton was submitted. Other observers include Maridel Jackson, Ann Johnson, Aaron Brees, Gordon Brand, and many other unidentified observers. \| Elimination of similar species: The wing pattern, size, and lack of black marks on the face eliminated any of the smaller gulls (i.e. Bonaparte's). The small size and smaller bill size eliminated California Gull. Ring-billed Gull was eliminated on the basis of the darker mantle and upperwings, large, dark eye, and bill color and shape. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 15:30:00/16:40:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	23
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Black-legged Kittiwake in Saylorville Reservoir, 1995	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1995-11-19	2000-11-20	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Black-legged Kittiwake in Saylorville Reservoir in Polk County, IA on November 19, 1995. Includes a record review document with votes and two documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Black-legged Kittiwake	Saylorville Lake	Saylorville Res., Polk Co.	large lake	The documentation form by Stephen J. Dinsmore forms the basis of this record. Another documentation form by Jim Dinsmore was submitted. Other observers include Dennis Thompson, Bery Engebretsen, Bob Myers, Pam Allen, Reid Allen, and Maridel Jackson. \| Elimination of similar species: The size, striking wing and tail patterns, black half-collar, and dark bill and legs are distinctive of this species. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 09:00:00/09:45:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	11	10
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Black-headed Gull at Spirit Lake and Kettleson Hogsback Wildlife Management Area, 1994	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes Photographs	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1994-08-02	1998-06-09	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Black-headed Gull at Spirit Lake and Kettleson Hogsback Wildlife Management Area in Dickinson County, IA on August 2, 1994. Includes a record review document with votes, an article in Iowa Bird Life, a photograph, and thirteen documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Dinsmore, Stephen J.	Black-headed Gull	Kettleson Hogsback Wildlife Management Area Spirit Lake	n. end of Spirit L., Dickinson Co., IA	large lake	The documentation form by Stephen J. Dinsmore for the 11:25 AM sighting forms the basis of this record. A second form by Stephen J. Dinsmore for the 12:12 PM and 5:40PM sighting was submitted as well. Other documentation forms by Lee A. Schoenewe, Pete Ernzen, Jim Fuller, Thomas H. Kent, Peter C. Petersen, Ed Thelen, Babs Padelford, Loren Padelford, Pam Allen, Reid Allen, Beth Proescholdt, and Mark Proescholdt (two separate forms) were submitted later. Other observers include LaVonne Foote, Nancy Schoenewe, Beth Brown, Tim Schantz, Brian Blevins, Corey Blevins, Bob Livermore, Roland Barth, Kim Eckert, Russ Widner, Phil McFadden, Bill Huser, Eugene Armstrong, and Eloise Armstrong. \| Elimination of similar species: The combination of red bill and legs, brown hood, size, very pale gray mantle and upperwings, and black undersides to the inner primaries eliminates several similar species, including Franklin's, Laughing, Little, Bonaparte's, and Ross' gulls. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 11:25:00/11:42:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	21
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting for Rufous Hummingbird at Rippey, 1993	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1993-05-09	1995-07-08	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Rufous Hummingbird at Rippey in Boone County, IA on May 8, 1993. Includes a record review document with votes and three documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Laub, Sharon	Rufous Hummingbird	Rippey	Feeder - Rippey- Boone Co. - 3 miles east of Rippey-1/2 mile north	Farm yard	The documentation form by Sharon Laub is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Jim Fuller and James Scheib were submitted later. Other observers include Kurtis Laub, Russ Laub, Bob Myers, Jane Fuller, Eugene Armstrong, and Eloise Armstrong. \| Elimination of similar species: I eliminated Allen's because back appeared rust-orange \| The original documentation form event lasted from 14:00:00/20:33:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	12	24
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting for Wood Thrush at Eden Valley Refuge, 1985	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1985-12-18	1993-09-03	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Wood Thrush at Eden Valley Refuge in Clinton County, IA on December 18, 1985. Includes a record review document with votes and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Kaufman, Sharon	Wood Thrush	Eden Valley County Refuge	West Valley at Eden Valley Refuge (Lost Nation CBC)	Shrubs at hardwood timber edge	The documentation form by Sharon Kaufman is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Another observer was Jack Wohlstadter. \| Elimination of similar species: Hermit and Grey Cheeked Thrush. This bird had more conspicuous eye, larger and more numerous breast spots. \| The original documentation form event occurred around 11:00:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	13	8
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting for Black-headed Grosbeak at Cedar Rapids, 1978	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes Photographs	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1978-12-01	1993-08-19	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Black-headed Grosbeak at Cedar Rapids in Linn County, IA on December 1, 1978. Includes a record review document with votes, a photograph, an article in Iowa Bird Life, and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Millikin, Sara L.	Black-headed Grosbeak	Cedar Rapids	Usually on the ground where I had thrown seed	along railway right of way near my home and on ground near house and feeders	The documentation form by Sara L. Millikin is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Pete Wickham, Lillian Serbousek, Roberta Appedahl, Fred Nissen, Weir Nelson, Karl Goellner, and Lucile Liljedahl. \| The original documentation form event lasted from at daylight to 16:00:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	14	3
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting for Eurasian Tree Sparrow at West Branch, 1987	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1987-03-14	1993-09-07	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for two Eurasian Tree Sparrows at West Branch in Cedar County, IA on March 14, 1987. Includes a record review document with votes, an article in Iowa Bird Life, a summary of the review, and eight documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Veal, Sally	Eurasian Tree Sparrow	West Branch	in my backyard in West Branch		The documentation form by Sally Veal is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by James Sandrock, Carl Bendorf, Thomas Kent, James Fuller, Peter Petersen, Thomas Staudt, and Francis Moore were submitted later. Other observers include Cal Knight, Bernie Knight, Walter Zuurdeeg, Ann Barker, Mary Lou Petersen, and Gerry White. \| Elimination of similar species: As I was filling my bird feeders I noticed two birds in the silver maple behind the house that at first glance appeared to be house sparrows. I was struck by the neat appearance and greater activity of these particular birds and by the fact that they were not associating with the flock of house sparrows near the bird feeders. Even without binoculars I was able to see the black spots on the birds faces. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 10:00:00 through the afternoon.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	14	18
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Ferruginous Hawk south of Shenandoah, 1977	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1977-10-27	1994-02-03	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Ferruginous Hawk south of Shenandoah in Page County, IA on October 27, 1977. Includes a record review document with votes, two articles in Iowa Bird Life, a transcription of the documentation form, and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Phipps, Ruth O.	Ferruginous Hawk	Shenandoah	Six miles south of Shenandoah, Iowa - Highway No. 59	General: western great plains Specific: open grasslands and plains	The documentation form by Ruth O. Phipps is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Wayne Phipps. \| Elimination of similar species: Red-tailed Hawk and Rough-legged. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 13:30:00 and 14:30:00/14:45:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	9	1
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Great Black-backed Gull at Lake Manawa, 1978	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1978-12-06	1993-08-19	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Great Black-backed Gull at Lake Manawa in Pottawattamie County, IA on December 6, 1978. Includes a record review document with votes, articles in Nebraska Bird Review, Iowa Bird Life, and American Birds, and two documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Green, Ruth	Great Black-backed Gull	Lake Manawa	Lake Manawa, Council Bluffs, Iowa	Most of Lake Manawa was frozen over at this time but there were small patches of open water. The bird was standing on the ice at the edge of one of these patches.	The documentation form by Ruth Green forms the basis of this record. Another documentation form by Sandra S. Kovanda and James Kovanda, Jr. was submitted. \| Elimination of similar species: There were only two gulls at this time there--this bird and the glaucous. \| The original documentation form event lasted from approximately 16:30:00/17:00:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	11	8
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting for Sprague's Pipit north of Missouri Valley, 1978	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1978-04-11	1994-01-28	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Sprauge's Pipit north of Missouri Valley in Harrison County, IA on April 11, 1978. Includes a record review document with votes, a request for reconsideration of record, an article in Iowa Bird Life, and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Gochenour, Ruth A.	Sprague's Pipit	Missouri Valley	Two miles north of Missouri Valley, Iowa	Plowed field - corn stubble - Soil wet from rain - deep grassy ditches on both sides of rd.	The documentation form by Ruth Gochenour is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Another observer was Naomi Svenningsen. \| Elimination of similar species: American Pipit, Vesper Sparrow - Legs-flesh colored - not clark - Lacked cinnamon shoulder patches - and streaking on back as described in #6. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 11:00:00/11:10:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	13	13
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Tomahawk Marsh, 1998	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes Maps (documents) Photographs	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1998-04-10	2000-11-24	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Tomahawk Marsh in Sac County on April 10, 1998. Includes a record review document with votes, a photograph, an article in Iowa Bird Life, a map of one of the sightings, and seven documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Reisz, Russell	Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	Tomahawk Marsh Wildlife Management Area	Tomahawk Marsh, Sac County, Iowa	marsh, wetland	The documentation form by Russell Reisz is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Peter Ernzen, Thomas H. Kent, Jim Fuller, Dick Tetrault, Chris Edwards, and Mark Proescholdt were submitted later. Other observers include Beth Proescholdt. \| Elimination of similar species: Fulvous Whistling-duck is the most similar species. This species was eliminated because it has a different bill color and a different leg color than the Black-bellied Whistling-duck. The Fulvous Whistling-duck also lacks the white wing patch and the dark belly of the Black-bellied Whistling-duck. These were all points of identification for the species seen at Tomahawk Marsh. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 19:58:00/19:58:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	8	3
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Red Phalarope at IPL Ponds, 1989	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1989-08-27	1993-07-21	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Red Phalarope at IPL Ponds in Pottawattamie County, IA on August 27, 1989. Includes a record review document with votes and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Silcock, W. Ross	Red Phalarope	MidAmerican Energy Ponds	IPL Ponds, Pott Co., IA		The documentation form by Ross Silcock is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Loren Padelford, Babs Padelford, Tanya Bray, BJ Rose, Doug Rose, and Roger Rose. \| Elimination of similar species: [...] Loren remarked on a pale one which we passed off as a Sanderling, even though it was feeding methodically and appeared to have some markings not characteristic of a Sanderling (we were still looking for a Laughing Gull!). [...] We re-examined the bird and I noted the following - a shorebird about Pectoral SDP. size but a little more elongated + less plump. [...] Bill similar to Pectoral SDP but straighter + a little heavier. [...] Also noticeable was dark coloration at bend of wing, when bird feeding. Latter was deliberate, rather like Dowitcher, head often under water. [...] (2) Difficulty of eliminating Red-necked Phalarope - I believe this is achieved due to the following (a) Red has much thicker bill (b) Red is significantly larger } Size comparison with Lesser Yellowlegs at IPL indicated this bird was not a small Phalarope. Bill was very heavy - as heavy or more so as a Pectoral's bill. \| The original documentation form event lasted from approximately 12:15:00/13:30:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	12
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Whimbrel at the MidAmerican Energy Ponds, 1989	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1989-08-27	1993-08-05	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Whimbrel at the MidAmerican Energy Ponds in Pottawattamie County, IA on August 27, 1989. Includes a record review document with votes and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Silcock, W. Ross	Whimbrel	MidAmerican Energy Ponds	IPL Ponds, Pott Co., IA		The documentation form by Ross Silcock is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Loren Padelford, Babs Padelford, Doug Rose, B.J. Rose, Roger Rose, and Tanya Bray. \| Elimination of similar species: [...] Notable however was call - a rather mellow series of piping notes. (Somewhat like a musical Lesser Yellowlegs). The only other possibilities, Marbled Godwit & Longbilled Curlew, have very different calls. \| The original documentation form event occurred around 13:15:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	9	23
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Riverton Wildlife Management Area, 1994	Administrative records Correspondence Field notes Photographs	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1994-05-15	1996-04-25	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Riverton Wildlife Management Area in Fremont County, IA on May 15, 1994. Includes a record review document with votes, correspondence about the bird sighting, seven photographs and photocopies of them, and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Silcock, W. Ross	Sharp-tailed Sandpiper	Riverton Wildlife Management Area	Riverton GMA, Fremont County		The documentation form by Ross Silcock is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include B.J. Rose, Roger Rose, and Doug Rose. \| Elimination of similar species: [...] It resembled a Pectoral Sandpiper, but differed in the following ways: the crown was streaked, and showed noticeable rufous coloration in the feathering; the off-white superciliary stripe was lengthy and broadened towards the rear; the breast markings were dense as in a Pectoral but did not show a clearcut ending at the whitish belly, but instead ended indeterminately by gradually fading out. [...] Once ready to record, we flushed the bird and it gave a soft series of notes, somewhat like a Lesser Yellowlegs, but rather flat and unmelodious. This call was most unlike the harsh, grating call of a Pectoral Sandpiper. [...] Plumage, time of year, call upon flushing, and key plumage differences from Pectoral Sandpiper, cited above, led us to identify this bird as an adult Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. \| The original documentation form event occurred around 10:30:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	4
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Ferruginous Hawk at Benton Township in Fremont County, 1989	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1989-01-17	1993-08-05	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Ferruginous Hawk at Benton Township in Fremont County, IA on January 17, 1989. Includes a record review document with votes, field notes of the sighting, and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Silcock, W. Ross	Ferruginous Hawk	Benton Township	Benton TWP, Fremont Co., IA.	Open Missouri riverbottom; soybean stubble fields	The documentation form by Ross Silcock is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: See attached discussion. (After writing my field notes at the site of observation and returning home later I found the stnadard field guides most unhelpful. Dunne et al's discussion of Ferruginous was tremendous, indicating variation in Ferruginous Hawks, and especially in discussion of flight characteristics, 'jizz', and behavior [...] The only possibility which is realistic to consider is Redtailed [sic] Hawk, or possibly Rough-legged Hawk. While similar in 'jizz' to a rough-leg (long tail, flight with 'crooked' (=osprey-like) wings, darker mottling underneath, longish wings), Roughleg can be eliminated by the following characters - absence of characteristic underwing pattern, including significant wrist mark (Ferruginous should show this to some extent according to Dunne et al, but I did not see it; remember I did not see the underparts well), and method of hunting-I have never seen a roughleg fly this low over the ground for this long (about a mile) - much lower and more consistently so than a harrier. Regarding elimination of Red-tail - I really think it is easier to eliminate Red-tail than rough-leg based on 'jizz'. The tail was too long, was never spread, and wings were long than Red-tail's. Tail pattern and 'three points of light' combination also is never seen on a Redtail [sic], especially when viewed from above. (The similarity to Roughleg [sic] in pattern can be seen in the front end paper in Dunne et al). Habitat and behavior also are important - while Redtails [sic] are very common in Fremont County, they are definitely not common on the open Missouri bottomlands. Redtail [sic] is a bird of edge habitat. I always look closely at any buteo seen from October to April on the open bottomlands. I have never seen any other buteo fly as low to the ground for as long as this bird - when i say low, I mean 1-2 ft above the ground. At no time was the bird higher than 6', and that was when perched on possibly the lowest post for some distance. Even a Harrier will rise and fall while hunting. This bird stayed low, in the manner of a hunting Golden Eagle (which I have seen in Western Kansas) - a point also mentioned by Dunne et al. Another point noted by Dunne et al and also shown in my sketch (purposely!) and, mentioned in my field notes was the osprey-like crook in the wings-while flying low over the ground. Dunne et al note that this is characteristic of a hunting Ferruginous. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 15:30:00/15:45:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	9	1
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Pacific Loon at IPL Ponds, 1989	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1989-11-05	1993-08-05	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Pacific Loon at the IPL Ponds in Pottawattamie County, IA on November 5, 1989. Includes a record review document with votes and a documentation form submitted to the committee.	Silcock, W. Ross	Pacific Loon	Pottawattamie County	IPL South Pond, Pottawattamie County, IA	Artificial impoundment	The documentation form by Ross Silcock is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other observers include B.J. Rose, Doug Rose, Roger Rose, and Pete Wickham. \| Elimination of similar species: Common Loon- Cleancut black-white demarcation and eye surrounded by dark feathering; chinstrap. Red-throated Loon - Dark feathering (not greyish as in most red-throats). Bill held level-symmetrical dagger-like bill chinstrap. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 11:45:00/12:15:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	7	7
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Laughing Gull at Midwest Power Pond, 1994	Administrative records Correspondence Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1994-10-19	1996-04-25	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Laughing Gull at Midwest Power (South) Pond in Pottawattamie County, IA on October 19, 1994. Includes a record review document with votes, a documentation letter from Paul Lehman to Ross Silcock, and two documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Silcock, W. Ross	Laughing Gull	MidAmerican Energy Ponds	Midwest Power (South) Pond, Pottawattamie Co., IA		The documentation form by Ross Silcock is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other documentations by Babs and Loren Padelford as well as Paul Lehman were submitted later. \| Elimination of similar species: [...] Later it was seen at rest with Ring-billed and Franklin's Gulls, the latter group including a few individuals of the same age as the Laughing Gull, allowing careful comparison. [...] The wings were long and pointed, the overall jizz of the bird more attenuated than a Franklin's. [...] There was a grayish-black wash over the crown and nape, slightly intensified in the upper nuchal area, and a paler grayish wash on the flanks in the area below the bend of the wing, imparting a "dirtier" look to the underparts than on same-age Franklin's Gulls (seen when at rest). At rest, the black primaries extended well past the tail, a feature compared easily with nearby Franklin's, and there were no small white crescents in the primaries of the Laughing Gull, a feature easily seen in same-age Franklin's nearby. The Laughing Gull was almost as big as the Ringbills near it, while it appeared significantly larger than the adjacent Franklin's. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 11:30:00/11:40:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	10	18
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Thayer's Gull at Lake Manawa, 1981	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Correspondence Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1981-03-19	1993-08-26	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for two Thayer's Gulls at Lake Manawa in Pottawattamie County, IA on March 19, 1981. Includes a record review document with votes, correspondence and comments about the sighting, an article in Iowa Bird Life, and four documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Silcock, W. Ross	Thayer's Gull	Lake Manawa	Lake Manawa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa.		The documentation form by Ross Silcock is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Thomas H. Kent, Peter C. Petersen, and Robert K. Myers were submitted later. Other observers include Tom Shires, James Kovanda, Sandra Kovanda, Tanya Bray, Babs Padelford, Loren Padelford, B.J. Rose, and four unidentified other observers. \| Elimination of similar species: The above description separates by direct comparison first-year Thayer's and Herring Gulls, the most similar species present. Thayer's may be confused in first year plumage with Kumlien's form of Iceland Gull, but the Thayer's had primaries slightly darker than the mantle (from above), whereas the opposite occurs in Iceland Gull (Lehman). Lehman also notes that some first-year Western Gulls may show translucent primaries from below in certain light, but these observations took place in excellent light at fairly close range. \| The original documentation form event lasted from approximately 09:30:00/11:00:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	11	3
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Long-billed Curlew at MidAmerican Energy Ponds, 1990	Administrative records Field notes	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1990-07-04	1993-07-17	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review of a Long-billed Curlew at MidAmerican Energy Ponds in Pottawattamie County, IA on July 4, 1990. Includes a record review document with votes, an article in Iowa Bird Life, notes about the sighting, and two documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Silcock, W. Ross	Long-billed Curlew	MidAmerican Energy Ponds	IPL Ponds, Pottawattamie Co.	Cooling ponds for power plant; gravel banks.	The documentation form by Ross Silcock is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Tanya Bray were submitted later. \| Elimination of similar species: Possibilities are Whimbrel, eliminated by absence of head striping and presence of cinnamon wing linings and distinctive call; Marbled Godwit, eliminated by strongly decurved bill and call; and other rarer curlews, all eliminated by the combination of field characters noted above (Bristle-Thighed eliminated by absence of rufous rump). \| The original documentation form event lasted from 16:30:00/17:30:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	9	24
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting for Barrow's Goldeneye at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, 1989	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes Photographs	Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc	1988-01-02	1993-08-05	Rare birds documentation form	Records Committee review for a Barrow's Goldeneye at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge in Harrison County, IA on January 2, 1989. Includes a record review document with votes, photographs of the bird, an article in Iowa Bird Life, and four documentation forms submitted to the committee.	Silcock, W. Ross	Barrow's Goldeneye	DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge	DeSoto NWR	Oxbow Lake, Partly open	The documentation form by Ross Silcock is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Steve Dinsmore and Jim Fuller were submitted later. Other observers include Ann Johnson, Ruth Green, and Tanya Bray. \| Elimination of similar species: See above - all features eliminate Common Goldeneye. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 10:30:00/12:30:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	8	21