At the end of every calendar year, the term of at least one member the MOU Records Committee (MOURC) expires, and accordingly we are looking for persons who wish to be considered for service on MOURC. Nominees must be MOU members, have access to e-mail (most of the records we consider are handled electronically), and be familiar with the status, distribution, identification, and documentation of Minnesota birds.
If you want to be considered, or know someone who does, please contact me by e-mail, U S mail, or telephone no later than December 4. Or, see me in person at the December 5 MOU board meeting, during the December 6 MOU Papers Session, or at the December 7 MOURC meeting. The names of all potential nominees must be submitted no later than during this MOURC meeting, which is scheduled for noon-4 PM at the Touch & See meeting room at the Bell Museum. (By the way, any interested MOU member is welcome to attend and observe any meeting of MOURC.) Since the Fall 2003 season will be ending soon, with seasonal reports from observers due, this would be a good time to remind birders of those reports of unusual species which still need to be documented. It is encouraging to note there are only four of them this season, all of them having been posted on the MOU-net listserve and/or included on one of the Minnesota RBAs. While birders are certainly free to include anything they wish on their personal and unpublished lists, remember that sightings of Accidental, Casual, and rare-Regular species can only be published by the MOU and included in its archives of bird records when accompanied by documentation. Such documentations are of special value now, since MOURC is in the process of updating the MOU's official checklist of Minnesota birds, and your record may well affect that species' status on the list. Accordingly, if you were an observer of any of the records listed below and are interested in documenting the record, the MOU would appreciate your assistance: Plegadis ibis, 18 October, Cottonwood, Lyon Co. Swallow-tailed Kite, 25 August, Morristown, Rice Co. Gyrfalcon, 8 November, Hawk Ridge, Duluth Black-headed Gull, 18 October, Spirit L., Jackson Co. There are also reports of rarities from earlier in 2003 which have yet to be documented, and documentation for any of these would still be welcome. Again, however, unless someone still has some notes or details to provide, these sightings cannot be published or included in the MOU's archives: White-faced Ibis, 21 April, Lino Lakes, Anoka Co. White-faced Ibis, 4 May, Morris/Big Stone birding festival (location?) Barrow's Goldeneye, 2 April, Long Meadow L., Hennepin Co. White-tailed Kite, 23 April, near Wrenshall, Carlton Co. Mississippi Kite, 10 May, Hyland Lake Park, Hennepin Co. Yellow Rail, 18 April, Carlos Avery WMA, Anoka Co. Eurasian Collared-Dove, 10 March, Renville, Renville Co. Eurasian Collared-Dove, 13 April, Russell, Lyon Co. Eurasian Collared-Dove, 15 April, Willmar, Kandiyohi Co. White-winged Dove, late April, near Ely, Lake Co. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 14 February, Gunflint Lodge, Cook Co. Le Conte's Sparrow, 22 March, Myre Big Island S.P., Freeborn Co. Great-tailed Grackle, 13 April, Grover's L., Jackson Co. There are three ways to provide documentation: 1) By e-mail or regular U.S. mail, send me as complete a description as possible of the bird, any field notes or photographs which were taken, a comparison of this bird with similar species, your experience with this and similar species, whether or not you knew it was unusual, if and when field guides were used or needed to identify the bird, the light conditions, distance involved, how long the bird was seen, and the optics used. Or (2) by e-mail or regular mail, send me your mailing address, and I will send you an MOU documentation form which outlines the requested information for you to fill in. Or (3) you can download this form from the MOU's website, <mou.mn.org>. Again, seeing a rare bird and adding it to your personal list is certainly enjoyable in its own right, but when your sighting is also documented and sent in to the MOU it also serves as an important contribution to our knowledge of Minnesota bird distribution. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. On behalf of the MOU, thanks in advance for your help and your contribution to Minnesota ornithology. Kim Eckert Chairman, MOURC 1921 W. Kent Rd. Duluth, MN 55812 (218) 525-6930 [email protected]
