Geo Koppel located the following. As I would like to include this in the
next issue of the CBC Newsletter to encourage participation and close to
the original wording--which is a hoot. I would ask those who participate
in the contest to comment if the rules are still valid, or if there is
consensus that presently some rules are out of date or need to be modified..
If the rules are still valid, I would suggest that for this year that there
be no registration with a single person and that declaration of intent to
participate be extended to Jan 31. If there is currently a registrar, I
would like to know that persons name.
Cheers,
Richard Tkachuck
David Cup rules
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 17:14:13 -0500
Reply-To: CAYUGABIRDS-L@cornell.edu
Sender: owner-cayugabird...@cornell.edu
From: j...@cornell.edu (Jeff Wells)
To: Upstate NY Birding
Subject: David Cup McIlroy Award Regulations
Regulations for the First Annual David Cup and McIlroy Award
--The David Cup will be a friendly competition in which birders compete for
the highest total of different species seen throughout the Cayuga Lake
Basin as designated by a map which every participant will receive.
--The McIroy Award will be a friendly competition in which birders compete
for the highest total of different species seen throughout the town of
Ithaca as designated by a map which every participant will receive.
--The competition shall begin 12:01 am on 1 January and conclude midnight,
31 December of the same year.
--A birder shall not be considered a participant until s/he has signed up
with the designated registrar (this year, Steve Kelling). S/he may sign
up at any time throughout the year; however, s/he shall not count any
species seen before officially signing up. This includes species s/he
worked his/her butt off to find the year before in an attempt to conquer
previous Basin records. There will be an exception to this rule in 1996.
Participants who sign up by February 1 can count species seen from
January 1 to January 31.
--There will be a 98% rule: 98% of the species on a participating birder's
list must have been seen by three or more participating birders at some
point in the duration of the competition (infants, pets, and imaginary
friends shall not be considered participating birders.) For example,
a year-end total of 200 species would mean that 196 of these must have
been seen by two or more other participating birders, though not
necessarily at the same time (i.e., if you see a Snowy Owl on the buoy
at Myer's Point, as long as two or more participating birders see a
Snowy Owl at some point during the competition, it will meet the 98%
rule requirement.) Otherwise, the species shall be counted as one of
the freebies or, should a birder's total allotment of freebies
already be accounted for, shall be eliminated from his/her final total.
--Reports of Horned Screamers, Russet-throated Puffbirds, and other rare
birds as determined by A Checklist of the Birds of the Cayuga Lake Basin
(McIlroy Smith) must be documented with a detailed written description,
preferably accompanied by a photograph of said individual showing
distinguishable fieldmarks which should be submitted to NYSARC. Shooting
the bird to use as proof will eliminate the marksperson from the
competition.
Likewise, roadkills shall not be counted, and neither shall captive birds
nor those purchased in the frozen food section at Wegman's. Injured
birds,
bird banding, and other complicated scenarios shall be subject to the
same
rules as those followed by the American Birding Association. All
participants will receive a copy of said rules.
--Bird tip sharing is not only encouraged but considered a moral
responsibility. Anyone who sees species that are noteworthy for whatever
reason should post such information on CAYUGABIRDS, report to the Cayuga
Lake Basin Bird Alert, and otherwise make a legitimate effort to notify
the general public. Birders will be encouraged to treat uncooperative
tickers as outcasts by purposefully neglecting to invite them to teas,
blues concerts, garden parties and other social functions.
--No tick trading will be tolerated (i.e., I'll trade you one of my
Peregrine Falcons for one of your Northern Goshawks), and neither will
tick buying (i.e., I'll buy that Sedge Wren off you for fifty bucks!)
Such behaviors are unbecoming of birders and endanger our reputations as
morally incorruptible and superior members of the community at large.
--Remember to have fun, and to rejoice at the sight of all feathered things!
Respectfully submitted,
The David Cup McIlroy Award Committee
Registrar: Steve Kelling
Secretaries: Allison Jeff Wells
Members-at-large: Karl David, Bill Evans,
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
