2009 REPORT OF THE KANSAS BIRD RECORD COMMITTEE

 

This report summarizes the activities of the Committee for the calendar year 2009. The Committee received 37 observation reports in 2009, recording the occurrence of 26 different species. Of this total 26 records were circulated for consideration. All reports, whether circulated to the Committee or not, are achieved in the University of Kansas Natural History Museum.

 

Record submissions are assigned a sequential number in the order in which they are received, with the year of receipt as a prefix. Not all submissions that receive a number are circulated. Birds are listed in phylogeneric order under each of two categories: Records Accepted and Records Not Accepted. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow the American Ornithologist’ Union Checklist of North American Birds, Seventh Edition, 1998, updated through the 50th supplement 2009, published in the Auk 126(3) 705-714.

 

After the English and scientific name follows the KBRC record number, the number of individuals seen, with age or plumage notes; date(s) of observation; locality, including county; observer(s), with those documenting the record listed first; supporting physical evidence, if any, received by the committee; and finally, comments and notes on changes to the species status on the Kansas Ornithological Society (KOS) checklist. Records that were not accepted by the Committee have the observer’ names omitted, and a brief explanation of the reasoning behind that decision.

 

Authors, when citing KBRC records from this report are encouraged to give credit to the observer(s) of the record that submitted the report along with the citation of this report.

 

RECORDS ACCEPTED

Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica), 2009-7, one male of unknown age, 10 Jan, 2009, Clinton Reservoir (Douglas County), reported by Jon King. Twentieth state record.

 

Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica), 2009-33, one adult female, 3 December, 2009, LaFarge Sandpit, Wichita (Sedgwick County), reported by Larry Londagin. Twenty-first state record.

 

Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica), 2009-37, one adult male, 11 December 2009, Twin Lakes, Wichita (Sedgwick County), reported by Paul E Griffin; documented by photographs. Twenty-second state record.

 

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), 2009-24, one immature, 30 August 2009, John Redmond Reservoir (Coffey County), reported by Mark Land, originally seen by Nan Johnson and Joann Garrett, also seen by Matt Gearheart and Nic Allen; documented with photographs by M. Gearheart. Twelfth state record.

 

White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), 2009-18, one immature, 11 July, 2009 Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (Stafford County), reported by Nathan Ofsthun. Fifteenth state record.

 

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus), 2009-30, one subadult, 14 November 2009,  John Redmond Reservoir (Coffey County), along Embankment Road about 1/4 mile North of the dam, east side of the lake, approximate GPS: 38.250755, -95.753883, reported by Matt Gearheart, other observers include Nic Allen, Mark Land, and about 20 Burrough’s Audubon field trip participants; documented with several photographs.

 

Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus), 2009-23, two immature, 16 August 2009, Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (Barton County), reported by Daniel and Barbara Williams, also observed by Galen Pittman; documented with photographs.

 

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax), 2009-15, one immature, 11 July 2009, Nemaha Lake (Nemaha County), reported by Greg Friesen and Pete Janzen; documented with a drawing and field notes by G. Friesen. Ninth state record.

 

Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus), 2009-06, one adult, 5 March 2009, Quivira NWR Big Salt Marsh (Stafford County), reported by Jay Newton.  Eighth state record.

 

Mew Gull (Larus canus), 2009-04, one adult, 28 January 2009, Butler County Landfill (Butler County), reported by Bill Langley. Tenth state record.

 

Mew Gull (Larus canus), 2009-19 one immature, 24 April 2009, Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (Barton County), reported by Eugene Young; report accompanied by field notes. Although submitted as a L. c. canus the committee accepted this record to species level of L. canus. Eleventh state record.

 

Mew Gull (Larus canus brachyrhynchus), 2009-31, one first cycle, 8 November 2008, Perry Reservoir outlet channel (Jefferson County), reported by Mike Andersen, additional observers included Mark Robbins, Pete Hosner, and Nic Allen; documented with photographs. Twelfth state record.

 

Mew Gull (Larus canus brachyrhynchus), 2009-32, one first cycle, 9 November 2008, Clinton Reservoir (Douglas County), reported by Mike Andersen; documented by photographs. Note: This record was determined by the committee, based on photographs, to be the same bird as seen the previous day at Perry Reservoir.

 

Williamson’s Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus), 2009-28, one immature female, 9 October to 11 October 2009, Valley View Cemetery (Finney County), reported by Tom Shane, also observed by Sara Shane, Scott Seltman, Ted Cable, Marie Osterbuhr, Betty Bryant, and Pete Janzen; documentation includes a drawing by T. Shane and photographs by S. Seltman. Third state record.

 

Williamson’s Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus), 2009-34, one adult male, 5 December 2009, Wilson Reservoir (Russell County), reported by Dave Klema, also observed by Mike Rader; documented with photographs. Fourth state record.  Note: This bird was last observed on 3 March 2010 by John O’Neill and Dave Klema.

 

Calliope Hummingbird (Stellula calliope), 2009-35, one adult male, 8 August to 15 September 2009, Louisburg (Miami County), at the feeder of Jerry and Janet Guyer; documented with a photograph. Fourteenth state record. 

 

Vermillion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus), 2009-36, one adult male, 2 April 2002, Winfield Lake, area 4, zone 27 (Cowley County), reported by Betty Leader, also observered by Ben Leader and Nancy Smith.

 

Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva), 2009-17, one adult, one juvenile, 29 July 2009 Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (Barton County), reported by Eugene Young, also observered by Max Thompson, Mark Robbins, and Jonathan King. Sixth state record.

 

Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva), 2009-22, one adult 28 May 2009, two adults 17 June 2009, two adults 2 July 2009, two adults and a juvenile 22 July 2009, Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (Barton County), reported by Rob Penner, also observed by Keith Reif on 28 May. Seventh state record.

 

Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) 2009-25, one adult of the black backed form, 27 July to 2 September 2009, feeder in Wichita (Sedgwick County), reported by Steve Comeau documented with photographs. Fourteenth state record.

 

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED

Common Ground-dove (Columbina passerine), two juveniles, 17 September to 30 September 2009 in a yard in Clifton (Washington County), insufficient description was supplied to separate from other doves.

 

Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans), 2009-29 one juvenile/immature of unknown gender, 13 September 2009, Cimarron National Grasslands, Cottonwood Picnic Grounds (Morton County), Although the committee felt this could have been a Black Phoebe insufficient details were provided to separate from a possible hybrid phoebe. Several Eastern x Black Phoebe hybrids have been found in nearby states.

 

Cassin’s Vireo (Vireo cassinii), 2009-26, 19-20 September 2009, Maple Grove Cemetery, Wichita (Sedgwick County).  This is one of the difficult identification challenges in Kansas. Light colored female or immature Blue-headed Vireos can look identical to Cassin’s Vireos in the field. The age of the bird must be taken into account for an accurate ID. This record was originally accepted by the committee. After a lengthy discussion it was decided that there was insufficient data to accept this record.            

 

Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina), 2009-11 one immature, 14 May 2009, Shawnee Mission Park (Johnson County). Insufficient details were provided to separate from similar Tree Swallow. The committee discussed the necessity of care in identification of western species in the eastern parts of the state with this record. 

 

Swainson’s Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii), 2009-10, one unknown age/sex, 10 May 2009, Ford County Fishing Lake Refuge (Ford County). Insufficient description was given to separate from another similar species.

 

Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus), 2009-16, 9 July 2009, one adult female, feeder in Partridge (Reno County). Although the Committee found this to be an intriguing report of a bird that is expanding its range the description was insufficient to accept this potential first state record.

 

Members of the KBRC voting on these records:

Mike Andersen

Doris Burnett (Alternate)

Matt Gearheart

Kevin Groeneweg

Mark Land (Secretary)

Aaron Mitchell (Alternate)

Mark Robbins

John Schukman

Max Thompson (Chair)

 

Submitted by Mark Land, KBRC Secretary.

 

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