Report of the Records Committee for 1999

Thomas H. Kent

The Records Committee reviewed 34 records from 1999. Of these, 28 were accepted and 6 were not. Yellow-billed Loon, Arctic Tern, and Lesser Goldfinch were added to the state list. One of the not-accepted records was identified correctly but was not consider established yet (Greater Prairie-Chicken).

Committee members for 1999 with years in which their terms expire were: W. Ross Silcock (2000), Chris Edwards (2001), James L. Fuller (2002), Matthew C. Kenne (2003), Robert I. Cecil (2004), Jim Sinclair (2005), Thomas H. Kent (secretary, appointed by the committee). The secretary resigned, and in 1999 the committee appointed Ann M. Johnson as secretary beginning in the year 2000 and nominated Thomas H. Kent to fill the expiring term of W. Ross Silcock in 2000.

The four-digit number (year and sequence number) assigned to each record reviewed by the Records Committee is included for future reference. Records are classified as follows: A = Accepted (-S = specimen, -P = photograph, -R = recording, -D = documentation) and NA = Not Accepted. In order to be Accepted, a record must receive 7 votes on the initial review or 6 votes on a subsequent review. The subcategories A-S, A-P, and A-R indicate that physical evidence supports the identification, and records are subclassified based on a majority vote. References to IBL are the page of the Field Reports in Iowa Bird Life where the record is cited. P- numbers refer to the IOU Photo File entry number. Published notes and previous citations may contain more details. An * indicates a previously uncited documentation.

1999 RECORDS ACCEPTED

Yellow-billed Loon: 18 Apr at Clear L. in Cerro Gordo Co. (99-04, IBL 69:91) and 2-21 Dec at Little Wall L. in Hamilton Co. moving to Hallet’s Quarry in Story Co. (99-30, P-0628, IBL ??).

Clark’s Grebe: 21-25 May at Blue L. in Monona Co. (99-05, IBL 69:92).

Brown Pelican: 22-29 Sep at Saylorville Res. in Polk Co. (99-24, IBL 70:33).

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: Early Apr to 5 May north of Columbus Junction in Louisa Co. (99-06, IBL 69:92, Kent 1999).

Garganey: 2-12 Apr at Forney L. in Fremont Co. (99-07, P-0620 [see IBL 70:48] , P-0623, P-0624, IBL 69:93, Schmid 2000).

Ferruginous Hawk: 5 Dec at Hitchcock N.A. in Pottawattamie Co. (99-32, IBL ??)

Whooping Crane: 9-12 Apr near De Soto N.W.R. in Harrison Co. (99-11, P-0621, cover photo IBL 69(4), IBL 69:95, Sheets and Dinsmore 1999) and 9-12 Apr near Essex in Page Co. (99-12, IBL 69:95).

Black-necked Stilt: 4 May at Harrier M. in Boone Co. (99-13, IBL 69:94, J. Dinsmore 1999).

Red Knot: 4 Sep at Horseshoe Bend in Louisa Co. (99-25, IBL 70:36).

Jaeger species: 24 Nov at Hitchcock N.A. in Pottawattamie Co. (99-31, *Mark Orsag).

Black-headed Gull: 10 Jul at the County landfill in Dickinson Co. (99-17, IBL 69:127) and 1 Oct to 13 Nov at Spirit L. in Dickinson Co. (99-26, P-0629, P-0630, P-0635, [see also IBL 70:38], IBL 70:37).

Arctic Tern: 18, 20 Aug at Saylorville Res. in Polk Co. (99-19, P-0626 [see IBL 69:134], IBL 70:38, S. Dinsmore 1999) and 19 Aug at Saylorville Res. in Polk Co. (99-20, IBL 70:38, S. Dinsmore 1999).

Eurasian Collared-Dove: 6 Jan at Grinnell in Poweshiek Co. (99-01, 69:69), Jul to Dec at Rutland in Humboldt Co. (99-34, P-0636, IBL ???), 18 Aug at Ankeny in Polk Co. (99-21, IBL 70:38), and 20 Aug to 6 Nov at Mason City in Cerro Gordo Co. (99-33, IBL 70:38). The Grinnell birds were first seen in 1997 and remain through 1999.

White-winged Dove: 20-21 May at Waukee in Dallas Co. (99-14, IBL 69:95).

Black-billed Magpie: 27 Sep at Hitchcock N.A. in Pottawattamie Co. (99-27, IBL 70:39) and 9 Oct at Broken Kettle Grasslands in Plymouth Co. (99-28, IBL 70:39).

Mountain Bluebird: 7-21 Feb at Waterman Creek A. in O’Brien Co. (99-03, P-0612, P-0616, P-0619, IBL 69:70). Bohemian Waxwing: 6 Jan at Grinnell in Poweshiek Co. (99-02, 69:70).

Western Tanager: 10 May near Messervey in Cerro Gordo Co. (95-15, IBL 69:98).

Bullock’s Oriole: 4 Nov through Dec at Elkhorn in Sibley Co. (99-29, P-0633, P-0634 [see IBL 70:43], IBL 70:43).

Lesser Goldfinch: 5 Aug at Rockford in Floyd Co. (99-23, P-0627, IBL 70:43).

1999 RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED

Barrow’s Goldeneye: The bird had a yellow bill, but head shape was not described (99-08, IBL 69:93).

Female Common Goldeneyes sometimes have yellow bills.

Northern Goshawk: A naked eye view on a bird at 100 yards and one month out of season was not accepted on a split vote (99-09, IBL 69:93).

Greater Prairie-Chicken: There was no question about the identification of the birds at Kellerton W.A. in Ringgold Co. on 18 Apr (99-10, IBL 69:93). Although the committee had previously discussed whether to consider the population of this species in south-central Iowa as established, this is the first record that has been circulated for a vote. Populations have fluctuated since the second attempt to introduce this species began in 1987. It was decided on a split vote to err on the conservative side and wait to see how the population fares in coming years.

Ruff: A bird purported to be a juvenile was seen at a date considered to be too early for a bird in that plumage (99-18). A lingering immature bird in first basic plumage is possible, but the details were not considered diagnostic by several members.

Lark Bunting: A female was briefly seen and not accepted on a split vote.

Black-headed Grosbeak: The committee has never accepted a report of a female of this species, and this time was no exception (99-22). Some of the information on this bird was recalled sometime after the sighting.

LITERATURE CITED

Dinsmore, J.J. 1999. Black-necked Stilt in Boone County, Iowa Bird Life 69:131.

Dinsmore, S.J, and J. J. Dinsmore. 1999. Arctic Terns at Saylorville Reservoir: A first for Iowa. Iowa Bird Life 69:133-135.

Kent, T. H. 1999. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck in Louisa County, Iowa Bird Life 69:131-132.

Schmid, R. 2000. Garganey at Forney Lake, Iowa Bird Life 70:47-48.

Sheets, M. L., and J.J. Dinsmore. 1999. Whooping Cranes in Harrison County. Iowa Bird Life 69:132-133.

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