Annual Report of the North Dakota
Birding Society's Bird Records Committee, 2000
by Dan Svingen and Ron Martin
In calender year 2000, the North Dakota Birding Society's Bird
Records
Committee revised its bylaws, developed a new review list, and evaluated 40
rare bird records. The Committee's bylaws and review list are available
elsewhere at this same website. This report summarizes the results of the
records evaluation.
METHODS:
The North Dakota Bird Records Committee reviews material submitted
to
document the occurrence of a rare bird. This material typically involves a
documentation form and a copy of field notes and sketches. Photographs, tape
recordings, and videotape are reviewed when available. The 5 member
committee then voted on whether the documentation was sufficient to
establish the record. The vote taken was on the adequacy of the
documentation, not on the skills of the observer, or even if the bird
claimed was actually present. A vote of 4 or 5 yeas was required to accept
a
record. Conversely, a vote of 4 or 5 nays was required to reject a record.
Unresolved records were recirculated until resolved.
Committee members in 2000 included Ron Martin (Chairperson),
Dan Svingen
(Secretary), Larry Igl (Voting Member), Bob O'Connor (Voting Member), and
Clark Talkington (Voting Member). Corey Ellingson and Jill Dechant served
as alternate members.
RESULTS:
The committee evaluated 39 bird records, accepting 28 (72%), and rejecting
11 (28%). Details on each record will be published elsewhere (Svingen and
Martin IN PREP). A summary of the records is given below.
Results of North Dakota Birding Society's Bird Records Committee
votes in
2000.
| Species | BRC # | Sighting Location | Date of First Sighting | Result |
| Little Blue Heron | 01-29 | Sargent County | August 22,1999 | Accepted |
| Yellow-crowned Night-heron | 01-23 | Grass Lake, Richland County | July 13, 1996 | Accepted |
| Glossy Ibis | 01-19 | Dewald Slough, Kidder County | June 15, 1996 | Rejected |
| White-faced Ibis | 01-14 | Lake Alice National Wildlife Refuge, Ramsey County | summer 2000 | Accepted |
| Trumpeter Swan | 01-08 | Devil's Lake, Ramsey County | June 15, 1998 | Rejected |
| Trumpeter Swan | 01-17 | McKenzie Slough, Burleigh County | Oct. 29, 2000 | Accepted |
| Eurasian Wigeon | 01-04 | near Lidgerwood,Richland County | Oct. 2, 1998 | Rejected |
| Surf Scoter | 01-03 | Grand Forks sewage lagoon,Grand Forks County | June 21, 1998 | Accepted |
| White-winged Scoter | 01-27 | Grand Forks sewage lagoon, Grand Forks County | May 13, 1998 | Accepted |
| Greater Prairie Chicken | 01-02 | near Harwood, Cass County | Dec. 19, 1997 | Accepted |
| Yellow Rail | 01-05 | near Ayr, Cass County | May 11, 1999 | Accepted |
| Snowy Plover | 01-34 | Grand Forks sewage lagoons, Grand Forks County | May 1, 1999 | Accepted |
| Snowy Plover | 01-24 | Palermo Lake Southwest, Mountrail County | May 15, 2001 | Accepted |
| Black-necked Stilt | 01-13 | Towner County | June 16, 2000 | Accepted |
| Western Sandpiper | 01-30 | Kellys Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Grand Forks County | Oct. 12, 1999 | Accepted |
| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | 01-38 | West Fargo sewage lagoons, Cass County | Sept. 28, 1997 | Accepted |
| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | 01-36 | Sheyenne National Grassland, Richland County | Aug. 25, 1999 | Rejected |
| Ruff | 01-26 | Kellys Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Grand Forks County | May 6, 1998 | Accepted |
| Red Phalarope | 01-37 | Grand Forks sewage lagoons, Grand Forks County | Oct. 21, 1997 | Accepted |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 01-06 | Devil's Lake, Ramsey County | June 26, 2000 | Rejected |
| Little Gull | 01-07 | Devil's Lake, Ramsey County | June 15, 1998 | Rejected |
| Mew Gull | 01-11 | Garrison Dam,Mercer County | Nov. 3, 2000 | Accepted |
| Glaucous Gull | 01-25 | Grand Forks sewage lagoons, Grand Forks County | April 18, 1998 | Accepted |
| Sabine's Gull | 01-39 | Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Burleigh County | Oct. 1, 1997 | Accepted |
| Caspian Tern | 01-12 | Lake Alice National Wildlife Refuge, Ramsey County | July 13, 2000 | Accepted |
| White-winged Dove | 01-10 | Bismarck, Burleigh County | Sept. 29, 2000 | Accepted |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | 01-31 | near Rocklake, Towner County | July 18, 1999 | Accepted |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | 01-18 | Mayville, Traill County | Nov. 18, 2000 | Accepted |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | 01-21 | Bismarck, Burleigh County | Dec. 14, 2000 | Accepted |
| Boreal Owl | 01-15 | Icelandic State Park, Pembina County | Jan. 28, 2001 | Accepted |
| Rufous Hummingbird | 01-16 | near Buxton, Traill County | Sept. 16, 2000 | Rejected |
| Townsend's Warbler | 01-09 | Hettinger Cemetery, Adams County | Sept. 16, 2000 | Accepted |
| Townsend's Warbler | 01-35 | Fargo, Cass County | June 2, 2001 | Rejected |
| Pine Warbler | 01-33 | near Bismarck, Burleigh County | Nov. 17, 1998 | Rejected |
| Worm-eating Warbler | 01-32 | Fort Ransom State Park, Ransom County | May 23, 1998 | Rejected |
| Western Tanager | 01-01 | Fargo, Cass County | June 27, 1997 | Rejected |
| Sooty Fox Sparrow | 01-22 | Grand Forks Memorial Park Cemetery, Grand Forks County | Sept. 23, 2000 | Accepted |