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Records Committee review for rare bird sighting for Black-billed Magpie at Broken Kettle Grasslands, 1999
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Administrative records Field notes
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Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc
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1999-10-09
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2000-11-28
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Rare birds documentation form
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Records Committee review for a Black-billed Magpie at Broken Kettle Grasslands in Plymouth County, IA on October 9, 1999. Includes a record review document with votes and a documentation form submitted to the committee.
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Fields, Will
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Black-billed Magpie
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Broken Kettle Grasslands Preserve
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Broken Kettle Grasslands (a Nature Conservancy Preserve, Plymouth Co., IA)
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The documentation form by Will Fields is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include unidentified members of Iowa State University Fisheries and Wildlife Biology Club. | Elimination of similar species: The American crow and the common raven lack do not have such a long tail and they usually do not have white in their plumage. I had seen American crows flying around the preserve earlier that morning. This bird definitely had a longer tail than the American crows. Ring-necked pheasants also have a long tail, but they do not normally have a black and white plumage. | The original documentation form event occurred around 09:45:00.
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Iowa Ornithologists' Union | MS 166
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12
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45
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Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Jaeger species at Hitchcock Nature Area, 1999
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Administrative records Field notes
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Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc
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1999-11-24
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2000-11-28
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Rare birds documentation form
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Records Committee review for a Jaeger species bird at Hitchcock Nature Area in Pottawattamie County, IA on November 24, 1999. Includes a record review document with votes and two copies of a documentation form submitted to the committee.
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Orsag, Mark
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Jaegers
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Hitchcock Nature Area
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Hitchcock Nature Area Hawkwatch
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Missouri River Valley Floodplain
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The documentation form by Mark Osrag is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Sue Mattix. | Elimination of similar species: Dark immature gulls were eliminated by flight pattern, body-to-wing shape profile (as above), and the well seen identical translucent patches on the wings. Other jaeger species were eliminated by the bird's size. It thermalled above a wetland area beyond HNA's 'Westridge' with a group of Ring-billed Gulls. Size comparison was perfect-revealing a noticeably larger, heavier-bodied bird. | The original documentation form event lasted from 14:45:00/14:55:00.
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Iowa Ornithologists' Union | MS 166
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10
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13
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Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Yellow-billed Loon at Little Wall Lake, 1999
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Administrative records Field notes
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Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc
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1999-12-02
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2000-11-28
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Rare birds documentation form
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Records Committee review for a Yellow-billed Loon at Little Wall Lake in Hamilton County, IA on December 2, 1999. Includes a record review document with votes, a print of four photos, and six documentation forms submitted to the committee.
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Kent, Thomas H. (Thomas Hugh), 1934-
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Yellow-billed Loon
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Little Wall Lake
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Little Wall Lake, Hamilton Co., IA
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Natural lake in glaciated area. All open water.
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The documentation form by Thomas H. Kent is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Other documentation forms by Jim Fuller, Chris Edwards, Jim Dinsmore, Stephen J. Dinsmore, and Mark Proescholdt were submitted later. Other observers include Kevin Healy, Dick Tetrault, Reid Allen, Pam Allen, Eloise Armstrong, Eugene Armstrong, Beth Proescholdt, Kay Niyo, Eric Haley, and Hank Zaletel. | Elimination of similar species: The size and thick bill exclude Red-throated and Pacific Loons. The features that favor Yellow-billed over Common Loon include the bill shape, dark line to mid culmen, small eye, auricular patch, and the pattern of the foreneck and face (little extension of white and mottled color). The back pattern (wavy white lines rather than fuzzy white lines with dark bars) and paleness of the auricular patch indicate a juvenile. | The original documentation form event lasted from 07:45:00/09:00:00.
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Iowa Ornithologists' Union | MS 166
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7
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8
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Records Committee review for rare bird sighting of Ferruginous Hawk at Hichcock Nature Area, 1999
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Administrative records Field notes
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Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc
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1999-12-05
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2000-11-28
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Rare birds documentation form
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Records Committee review of a Ferruginous Hawk at Hitchcock Nature Area in Pottawattamie County, IA on December 5, 1999. Includes a record review document with votes and a documentation form submitted to the committee.
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Orsag, Mark
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Ferruginous Hawk
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Hitchcock Nature Area
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Hitchcock Nature Area (Lodge Hawkwatch Point)
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Loess Hills / Missouri River Valley. The bird was coming from out of the valley. It crossed the wooded ridges of HNA and headed southeast.
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The documentation form by Mark Orsag is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. | Elimination of similar species: I considered 5 other species of raptor in total. I eliminated two possibilities (Rough-legged Hawk and Northern Harrier) within seconds of seeing the bird in question. I eliminated two others (Bald Eagle [imm.], and Red-tailed Hawk more or less during the minute or so that I had the bird in view. **** ** I reviewed, in my head, the fine points of the Krider's Red-tailed Hawk for a few seconds after the bird had disappeared from view. The fifth species came to mind just before I started writing this report (the next day). I retroactively eliminated it. In reconstructing my reasoning, I believe: Rough-leg was eliminated due to the unmarked white throat, breast, underwings, and underside. Northern Harrier was eliminated due [sic] the large size and robust shape of the bird, the flight pattern (especially wingbeat), the unstreaked white throat, etc. Immature Swainson's Hawk later eliminated by dark head, white wing patches on primaries, lack of dark flight feathers on underwing, unlikelihood of December sighting. Bald Eagle immature- (whitebelly I-II) was eliminated by the downpushing wingbeat, the colors of the bird's dorsal surface, the lack of a contrast on the dorsal surface between the brown-gray forward part of the wing and the darker flight feathers (a little known good fieldmark for Immature BE), and the confining of the white coloration to the primaries, etc. Red-tailed Hawk-This species, in light of its similar (but smaller) size and variable plumages, posed the greatest problems. The dark upper surface, dark head, pointed wings, and pattern of flight (dihedral in glide posture), as well as the distinct and identical nature of the white markings on the upperwings and the lack of patagial marks, "commas", or other dark markings on the underside, were considered in total and used to rule out the immature light-morph Red-tail and, on reflection, a partial albino Red-tail. Krider's Red-tailed Hawk was the toughest to rule out. Here are my reasons: 1. Krider's heads appear white/light in contrast to the darker (gray or brown) color of the back. This bird's head was not lighter in color (on top) than the back. Back coloring was too dark (brown-reddish) for Krider's-no white mottling seen. Wings were pointed not rounded. No 'headlight' fieldmark [sic] was seen and the 'points of light' fieldmark [sic] was. Dihedral in glide unusual but not impossible for a Red-tail, but the wingbeat (fluid and downpushing rather than centered on the downstroke at the wrist) did not look like a Red-tailed's. | The original documentation form event lasted from 09:00:00/09:01:00.
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Iowa Ornithologists' Union | MS 166
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9
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1
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Records Committee review for rare bird sighting for Bullock's Oriole at Elk Horn, 1999
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Administrative records Field notes Photographs
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Bird watching Ornithology Ornithology--Societies, etc
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1999-12-17
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2000-11-28
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Rare birds documentation form
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Records Committee review for a Bullock's Oriole at Elk Horn in Shelby County, IA on December 17, 1999. Includes a record review document with votes, a photograph, and two documentation forms submitted to the committee.
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Fuller, James L
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Bullock's Oriole
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Elk Horn
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Yard of Randy and Rhea Leete, Elk Horn, Iowa (Shelby County)
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The documentation form by Jim Fuller is the earliest and the one that forms the basis of this record. Another documentation form by Thomas H. Kent was submitted later. Other observers include Karole Fuller, Mike Overton, Dixie Overton, and Dick Tetrault. | Elimination of similar species: This is the only orange oriole that exhibits a large white wing patch, and a dark eye line on an otherwise orange face. | The original documentation form event lasted from 10:20:00/10:45:00.
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Iowa Ornithologists' Union | MS 166
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14
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11
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