2003 Annual Meeting
The 2003 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 2 August 2003. In attendance were
Members
• Mark Lockwood, Secretary
• Keith Arnold, Academician
• Randy Pinkston
• Kelly Bryan
• Brush Freeman
• Mel Cooksey
• Jim Paton
TBRC members John Arvin and Petra Hockey were unable to attend the meeting. The meeting was convened at 9:21 AM.
Election of Members
Kelly Bryan's 1st term and Brush Freeman's 2nd term expired with the conclusion of the fall 2002 meeting; this left two vacancies to be filled. There were four nominations for the positions: Kelly Bryan, Brad McKinney, Mike Austin and Jesse Fagan. Lockwood and Arnold were again nominated for the positions of Secretary and Academician. The nominees were voted upon by secret ballet. Bryan and McKinney were elected members and the Secretary and Academician were reelected by acclamation
Current membership and term of service are as follows:
• John Arvin, Chair - Term expires fall 2004; can be re-elected
• Mark Lockwood, Secretary - term is as listed for Chair
• Keith Arnold, Academician - term is as listed for Chair
• Petra Hockey - 2nd term expires fall 2004
• Kelly Bryan - 2nd term expires fall 2006
• Mel Cooksey- 1st term expires fall 2004, can be re-elected
• Jim Paton - 1st term expires fall 2005, can be re-elected
• Randy Pinkston - 1st term expires fall 2005, can be re-elected
• Brad McKinney - 1st term expires fall 2006, can be re-elected
Regular Agenda Items
Fourth Round Records
1. 2000-55 Connecticut Warbler
Travis Co., 6 May 2000
not accepted 1-6
2. 2000-25, Masked Duck
Starr Co., 15 April 2000
accepted 6-1
3. 2000-29, Connecticut Warbler
Brazoria Co., 6 May 2000
accepted 6-1
Revision of Mailing Sequence
New mailing sequence is as follows:
Bryan
Paton
Hockey
Cooksey
McKinney
Arvin
Pinkston
Arnold
Lockwood
Review Species Specimens Located
Two Baird's Sparrow specimens collected prior to 1988 were discovered during 2003. Lockwood (Bryan: second) moved that the committee accept the specimen as state records. The motion passed unanimously.
Baird's Sparrow, Brewster County, 29 April 1933 - house at the Carnegie Museum
Baird's Sparrow, Brewster County, 14 May 1935 - house at the Carnegie Museum
The committee also examined a photograph of a "Great White" Heron taken by John Tventen (TPRF 21) and voted to add the record to Review List B.
Email sent to all TBRC members through the link in the website
Hockey had asked the TBRC to discuss how to best handle email sent to all TBRC members through the web site that were general bird questions. After some discussion, Freeman informed the committee that there was a mechanism in place to handle such email through the Tex-Birds-Help listserv. The committee decided to place a link on the web page
<http://www.lsoft.com/SCRIPTS/WL.EXE?SL1=TEX-BIRD-HELP&H=LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
to this web site for interested parties.
Adult male Rufous and Allen's Hummingbirds
Arnold provided some additional information concerning identification of fully adult male Selasphorus hummingbirds that appear to be "textbook" Allen's. Some of the new information supported the stance the committee now takes with these individuals. Arnold pointed out that some observers in Oregon were observing what they believed to be Allen's Hummingbirds with some rufous in their backs and doing Allen's flight displays, suggesting that there is still more to be learned about variation in Allen's Hummingbird plumage. The committee agreed that this information did not change any of the factors considered in the decision to consider well-photographed fully adult male Allen's Hummingbirds without diagnostic tail measurements. The committee still relies on hummingbird banders for documentation for most Allen's Hummingbirds.
Does Allen's Hummingbird met the criteria for remaining on the Review List
Lockwood asked the committee to consider whether Allen's Hummingbird met the criteria for be a review species. Thanks the efforts of hummingbird banders in Louisiana and Texas (particularly Charles Brower and Glenn Swartz), we now know that Allen's Hummingbird is a regular winter resident on the Texas coast, particularly the upper coast. There was some discussion about the amount in information available and everyone agreed that the TBRC should continue to solicit details for this species.
Motion to Remove Broad-billed Hummingbird from the list of Review Species
Lockwood asked the committee to consider removing Broad-billed Hummingbird from the review list. This species is an annual visitor to the state with approximately 55 documented records. There was no disagreement about the removal of the species. Lockwood moved (Pinkston: second) to remove Broad-billed Hummingbird from the Review List and the committee voted 7-0 in favor..
Motion to Remove Leach's Storm-Petrel from the list of Review Species
Lockwood asked the committee to consider removing Leach's Storm-Petrel from the review list. Discussion centered on the regular occurrence in the Gulf between May and July. This species was detected on all but three trips during this period over the past ten years (nine trips). Normally only one bird has been found on such trips. Most members thought the rarity of the species in the Gulf argued against a stable population that is under sampled by these trips. Lockwood moved to remove Leach's Storm-Petrel from the Review List, but the motion failed to get a second.
TOS Handbook of Texas Birds update
Lockwood and Freeman provided an update on the progress on the TOS Handbook of Texas Birds (formerly the Checklist of Texas Birds). They are awaiting page proofs for Texas A&M University Press and expect them before the end of August. The expected publication date is December 2003 or possibly January 2004.
Trumpeter Swan records
The committee discussed the potential origin of unbanded Trumpeter Swans in Texas and whether there was any need to revise the current stance on reviewing these bird. It was agreed that as the populations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa continue to grow, this species is likely occur with greater frequency. This may eventually cause a revision in the status of the species on the Review List. There are currently only four documented records of this species for the state.
TBRC 1988-161
Lockwood asked the committee to review TBRC 1988-161 and determine if the record needed to be recirculated. This record pertains to an accepted Long-tailed Jaeger from 20 February 1987. Long-tailed Jaegers winter in the southern oceans south of the Tropic of Capricorn. After reviewing the record, the committee agreed to have the record recirculated.
Electronic circulation of records
Lockwood had suggested to the committee earlier in 2003 that electronic circulation of records was the next step needed to speed up the time required to reach a decision on specific records. Neither the TBRC nor the secretary own a slide scanner and other equipment needed to efficiently handle non-digital photographs. After some discussion, the committee agreed to start electronic circulation of text only submissions. This does not conflict with the TBRC by-laws.
Adjournment
There being no other formal business on the agenda, the meeting was adjourned at 1:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Mark W. Lockwood
Secretary, Texas Bird Records Committee