Red Fox Sparrow at Poppoff sparrow patch 2017-11-18 ©Kevin S Lucas

This Red Fox Sparrow has been at the Poppoff sparrow patch since at least mid-November when I took this lousy photo with my point-and-shoot camera at 5:14 p.m. in little light. I don't recall what day I first saw it. I saw it there yesterday when I hauled in seed. In sunlight it's striking. Jim Cummins and I have exchanged photos of it, and Jim submitted checklists to eBird, after having respected eBird reviewers look at his photos of it and confirm that it was indeed a "Red" Fox Sparrow. They're labeled rare by eBird, and justly so. Jim's eBird reports triggered Rare Bird Alerts that went out to all who are subscribed to such for Yakima County. So this "Red" Fox Sparrow is not a secret to avid bird listers here, and there's no mystery who first reported it. When a rare bird shows up on eBird's range map, that indicates it has been "Confirmed" -- deemed an accurate and valid identification.

Here's a link to one of Jim's checklists:

ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40971120

And here's a link to the eBird range map, with a search for Red Fox Sparrow in the Yakima area:

ebird.org/ebird/map/foxsp1?neg=true&env.minX=&env...

If you click on the hotspot link for the Poppoff sparrow patch (located just above the words "Union Gap") You'll see two checklists from Jim Cummins. That indicates his sightings of the Red Fox Sparrow there were "Confirmed".

 

For those who chase rare birds, this kind of search is commonplace. For those who are charged with compiling county records for submission to Washington Birder, this basic exercise is part of what's needed to submit complete and accurate data. For those who would like to see their name in lights for "finding" a rare bird, it would be wise to do such a search, and maybe look at Rare Bird Alerts in their email inbox, and maybe consider ethics before claiming a rare bird find, or accepting, even tacitly, other's crediting or applauding them. Before I learned how to use eBird, I once excitedly reported the first Osprey I'd seen for the year, thinking it was the first here that year. I remember a subsequent post by Jeff Kozma on BirdYak politely mentioning that he'd seen one, or maybe several, at an earlier date that spring. I apologized. I don't remember posting an apology, but if I didn't, wish I had. (That was back before Denny blocked me from receiving or sending BragYak posts.) I learned way back then that while I'll still be excited by my first of season sightings, I shouldn't assume that no one else had already seen them. Lots of people drive along I-82 & see returning Ospreys, and Ospreys winter over. Lots of people walk on the Greenway Path and see sparrows. When there are eBird reports like Jeff's or Jim's, it's quite easy to find out.

 

Recently I heard that Eric, an avid lister here, said at the Yakima CBC last Saturday that he'd found a Red Fox Sparrow at the Poppoff Sparrow Patch. His checklist notes it as "continuing". Denny, also an avid lister here, has been giving Eric credit for his find. While it's great that Denny is sometimes willing to give credit for someone else's rare find, it would be better if he took the care to actually give credit where it's due, especially Denny's actions corrupt data. When someone congratulates you for a find that's not yours, you should correct them. When they credit you for a find that's not yours, you should correct them. Maybe, this time, Eric will do that. If so, maybe Denny will accept that. Denny could also easily look at another lister's report December 12th of the "continuing" Red Fox Sparrow, earlier than Eric's. Or earlier still, here's that link to Jim's checklist on December 6, 2017:

ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40971120

and to Jim's checklist from November 28:

ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40799044

 

Here's the text of the eBird Rare Bird Alert for Yakima County, from Jim's December 6th sighting, that went out to avid Yakima County bird listers:

 

"*** Species Summary:

 

- Fox Sparrow (Red) (1 report)

 

---------------------------------------------

Thank you for subscribing to the Yakima County Rare Bird Alert.The report below shows observations of rare birds in Yakima County. View or unsubscribe to this alert at ebird.org/ebird/alert/summary?sid=SN36660

NOTE: all sightings are UNCONFIRMED unless indicated

 

Fox Sparrow (Red) (Passerella iliaca iliaca/zaboria) (1)

- Reported Dec 06, 2017 10:45 by James Cummins

- Poppoff Trail, Yakima, Washington

- Map: maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=46.563994...

- Checklist: ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40971120

- Media: 2 Photos

- Comments: "I first reported this bird November 28. Got slightly better photos this time. Not sure if one of the 3 photos is a different bird but decided to report only 1. Feathers may be ruffled in the first photos below even though there was no wind. Reviewers can decide if this is a legitimate red and if the below photos are all the same bird. The last two photos are definitely the same bird.

www.flickr.com/photos/jlcummins_photography/27137106219/i...

 

Jim is an excellent birder. I greatly admire how he carries himself around birds. When approaching me birding, he never flushes the birds. He never boasts nor uses multiple exclamation points. He doesn't yank eBird reviewers' chains by writing in his eBird descriptions, "photos" without actually providing the photos. He is humble, and he is truthful. He is a superb role model in his field craft, humility, and decency.

 

This Red Fox Sparrow being at the Poppoff sparrow patch is really neat to see, and there are lots of Sooty and intermediate and indeterminate Fox Sparrows right there to compare it to. While it should be taken on its own, if anyone is to receive credit for the find, I think it should be Jim, since he worked at its identification, and submitted checklists, and his identification of this rare bird was confirmed.

 

I know of people who don't submit checklists -- so rare birds don't get harassed and to stay out of competition with unethical birders, and of others who like looking at birds and aren't into submitting checklists. Certainly several of them could have "found" it before us.

 

On the other hand, maybe I could submit a checklist for Nori. She was with Mary & me when I took this photo. Nori is a dog, so I bet she saw it before I did:

www.flickr.com/photos/58148027@N07/38454589696/in/datetaken/

 

Acknowledging and correcting the mistaken attribution and tacit complicity would be much better than doing nothing, or than making some quick switches and pretending the simple mistake and acceptance of credit didn't happen. Let's not have another Cooper's/Sharpie sleight-of-pic, nor Ross's Goose sighting not seen.

 

People write posts & eBird descriptions that include phases like "continuing Harris's Sparrow" and "continuing Red Fox Sparrow". Several notches above BirdYak is Tweeters, a listserv for birders in Washington State, where I've even read posts in which people explain that they are not due the credit given them. It's really simple, and painless, and helpfully truthful.

 

Good birding -- Enjoying observing birds, and trying to give eBird and Washington Birder accurate data.

 

Please always consider the sensitivity of birds, nearby humans, and the environment.

 

Don't pish or use playback on rare or sensitive birds or in heavily birded areas.

 

Please Follow this Code and Distribute and Teach it to Others ABA Code of Birding Ethics.

Whistle blower

Done