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1997 Annual Meeting

The 1997 annual meeting of the Texas Bird Records Committee was held at the Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, on Saturday 1 November 1997. In attendance were:

Members

John Arvin, Chairman
Greg Lasley, Secretary
Keith Arnold, Academician
Willie Sekula
Terry Maxwell
Martin Reid
Mark Lockwood
Guests
Brush Freeman
Chuck Sexton
TBRC members Carl Haynie and Barry Zimmer were unable to attend the meeting. The meeting was convened at 9:08 a.m.

Election of Members

Martin Reid's 1st term expired in the fall of 1997 and Carl Haynie's 2nd term also expired in the fall of 1997, this left two vacancies to be filled at the meeting. There were two nominations for the two positions: Martin Reid and Brush Freeman. Three other people were nominated, but refused the nominations for personal reasons. Lasley and Arnold were again nominated for the positions of Secretary and Academician. Maxwell (Lockwood: second) moved that the positions be filed by acclamation. The motion carried unanimously.

Current membership and term of service are as follows:

John Arvin, Chair - Term expires fall 1998; can be re-elected
Greg Lasley, Secretary - term is as listed for Chair
Keith Arnold, Academician - term is as listed for Chair
Martin Reid - 2nd term expires fall 2000
Mark Lockwood - 1st term expires fall 1998; can be re-elected
Willie Sekula - 1st term expires fall 1998; can be re-elected
Terry Maxwell - 1st term expires fall 1999; can be re-elected
Barry Zimmer - 1st term expires fall 1999; can be re-elected
Brush Freeman - 1st term expires fall 2000, can be re-elected

Regular Agenda Items

Fourth Round Records
  1. 1993-100 Pacific Loon.
    Grayson Co., 27 Mar 1993
    unaccepted 5-3 (Arvin, Maxwell, Lockwood voted "No")
  2. 1994-50 Pacific Loon
    Aransas Co., 13 Mar 1994
    accepted 8-0.
  3. 1994-101 Lesser Black-backed Gull
    Sea Rim State Park, Jefferson Co., 27 Mar 1994
    accepted 7-1. (Arnold voted "No")
  4. 1994-80 Connecticut Warbler
    Marion Co., 26 Apr 1994
    unaccepted 5-3 (Arvin, Maxwell, Sekula voted "No")

Revision of Mailing Sequence

New mailing sequence is as follows:

Arvin
Lockwood
Freeman
Sekula
Reid
Maxwell
Zimmer
Arnold
Lasley

Review Species Specimens Located

Lockwood continued to contact institutions to get listings of their Texas holdings. This search lead to the discovery of 13 additional specimens of review species that were not previously known to the TBRC. Lockwood (Maxwell: second) moved that the committee accept the located specimens as accepted state records. The motion passed unanimously

Motion to Remove Audubon's Shearwater, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, and Bridled Tern from the list of Review Species

Lockwood (second: Maxwell) moved that Audubon's Shearwater, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, and Bridled Tern be removed from the review species list. Lockwood provided a synopsis of the recent records from 17 deep-water pelagics since 1993. There was no disagreement about the removal of the species. Reid suggested that the committee continue to review non-pelagic records of the species. There was discussion of the merits of a separate review standard for pelagic species. The committee voted 8-0 to remove the species from the list. These birds, as with all species removed from the A list of review species, were placed on the B list.

Motion to Remove Lesser Black-backed Gull from the list of Review Species

Lockwood (second: Arvin) moved that Lesser Black-backed Gull be removed from the Review Species list. Lockwood provided a listing of the number of accepted records since 1982. Discussion centered on identification of dark-backed gulls and the potential of misidentifications. The motion carried 7-1 (Reid dissenting) to remove the species from the Review Species list.

Motion to Remove Glaucous Gull from the list of Review Species

Lockwood (second: Maxwell) moved that Glaucous Gull be removed from the Review Species list. Lockwood provided a listing of the number of accepted records since 1988. Discussion centered on identification of white-winged gulls and the potential of misidentifications. The committee voted 7-1 (Arvin dissenting) to remove the species from the Review Species list.

Motion to Remove California Gull from the list of Review Species

Lockwood moved that California Gull be removed from the Review Species list. Lockwood provided a listing of the number of accepted records since 1987. This species did not meet the minimum requirement to be removed from the Review list. The motion failed 0-8.

Red-faced Warbler specimen

Lockwood located a specimen of Red-faced Warbler collected by Frank Armstrong from El Paso County in 1890. The label data were smudged so that the specific location data were unclear. At the 1996 TBRC Annual Meeting Lockwood agreed to further investigate the specimen. Lockwood's investigation revealed that Armstrong had made several collecting trips to El Paso County and there were other specimens from the same general time period. The committee voted 8-0 to accept the specimen for El Paso County.

Status of Green Parakeet on ABA Checklist

Chuck Sexton presented a draft of his motion to the ABA Checklist Committee to add Green Parakeet. Sexton asked for any information concerning observation of Green Parakeets from races other than the one in Northern Mexico.

Status of Eurasian Collared-Dove in Texas

Lasley provided background of the expansion of Eurasian Collared-Doves from the Bahamas across the Southeastern United States. The species is now considered common in many areas of Louisiana, including Cameron Parish. The species has been reported as nesting in several locations within the state. Discussion centered on the origin of individual records and the need for documentation of nesting records. The committee decided that the Secretary should continue to solicit and accept documentation on Eurasian Collared-Doves and hold all of those records for the 1998 TBRC annual meeting where the status of the species will be reviewed again.

Status of White-cheeked Pintail on the Texas List

The status of the single accepted record of White-cheeked Pintail for Texas (TPRF-141) was revisited. Since the 1996 Annual Meeting, Lasley had communicated with H. P. Langridge and Noel Wamer from Florida to determine how Florida dealt with White-cheeked Pintail records. The potential of long-distance vagrancy of the species was discussed as well as the species being fairly common in captivity. The Secretary also shared correspondence from Ron Weeks concerning his recent sight record from Texas, which is currently in circulation. Reid asked that the accepted record be circulated with a new TBRC number. White-cheeked Pintail will remain on the state list while the record is being circulated.

Eskimo Curlew records from 1959-1961

Lasley discussed Eskimo Curlew records from Galveston County from 1959-1961. The species was reported from the same location between 1959 and 1962. Two individuals were photographed in 1962 at the location. Questions have been raised about the reports from the previous three years. Lasley agreed to investigate potential documentation on these reports.

TBRC record 1994-38

Lasley discussed an unaccepted report of Trumpeter Swan from Buffalo Lake NWR (TBRC 1994-38). The record indicated that the swan had a green neck band with white lettering. It has been determined that swans with this combination are Trumpeter Swans. Tundra Swans are banded with gray neck bands. Lockwood raised the question of whether the reintroduced individuals in the Midwest were also banded with green collars. Lasley agreed to contact the Trumpeter Swan Society to determine the answer to this question.

Status of Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow in Texas

Arnold had borrowed the lone specimen of Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow from Texas known to exist. The specimen was housed at the Denver Museum of Natural History (DMNH). Upon examination, the specimen was determined to be a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow. This specimen was the only documentation of this species in the state. Lockwood (second: Arvin) moved to remove Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow from the state list. The motion passed unanimously.

TBRC Web Page

Reid agreed to take over maintenance of the TBRC web page from Haynie. Lasley commented on the many compliments the TBRC and Haynie have received and that the TBRC web site was the standard that other bird records committees are trying to meet.

Definition of Texas Waters

Lasley discussed the problems the Louisiana Bird Records Committee have with state boundaries proposed by Peake and Elwonger in "A New Frontier: Pelagic Birding in the Gulf of Mexico" (Winging It 8:1, 4-9). Steve Cartiff, of the Louisiana Bird Records Committee, strongly suggested that the state boundaries should follow the ABA's nearest land definition. The committee voted unanimously to change the definition of Texas Waters to conform to the ABA's definition.

TBRC record 1996-35

The TBRC accepted a record of Eurasian Wigeon from Grayson Co. (TBRC 1996-35). The bird returned the following year to the same location and was later determined to be an American x Eurasian Wigeon hybrid. Photos submitted were re-examined and determined to in fact be a hybrid. The committee voted unanimously to reject the previously accepted record.

TBRC record 1990-132

Reid examined photos from TBRC 1990-132. The original record was submitted as a Thayer's Gull and was rejected. Reid's examination lead to the identification of the bird as a California Gull. The photos and reasons that lead Reid to this identification were circulated among the members present. All agreed that the photos were of a California Gull and the committee accepted the record 8-0.

TBRC record 1988-225

Reid examined photos from TBRC 1988-225. The original record was submitted as a Thayer's Gull and was rejected. Reid thinks the bird is in fact a Thayer's Gull. Reid will resubmit the record with his comments to the Secretary for inclusion in a future round.

Adjournment

There being no other formal business on the agenda, the meeting was adjourned at about 3:56 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,


Greg W. Lasley, Secretary, Texas Bird Records Committee
GWL:mwl


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