Congratulations to Cynthia Madsen and her friends for finding a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Cherry Creek SP
yesterday! I have included her field note below as an example to be emulated. Not only does she mention the exact location and describe the key field marks, but gives details of it playing the new outdoor sport of "Tossing the Beetle"...eight times no less (the previous record was six).
Cynthia tells us a vivid story that captures her experience. It allowed us to "be there"!
Compare this beautiful report to Cobirds with the skimpy and inadequate field notes we so often see, eg:
"name of the bird" plus "foraging low"... no field marks, no other notes.
or
"name of the bird" plus "well seen".
or
"name of the bird" plus "matches the field guide".
I am not displeased to be called a curmudgeon, but I do recall "the old days", when a rarity was actually described by the observer. IMHO even the "name of the bird" and a photo is not enough. Why not share more, get beyond naming the bird - "tick" - and into the realm of description, habitat, behavior, age and sex class...perhaps even include a short story evoking fond memories of growing up on a dairy farm?
Joe Roller, Denver
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