Thanks Derek. Thanks Perry. Just about every birder that responded to my question felt that it should count, as there is solid scientific evidence of the bird's presence. It would, however, be up to the local and national rarities commitees to decide.
Yes¡ of all the places that bird could go, what a choice! It flew smack into the midfdle of a war.
interesting about the fresh pursuit. Didn¡¯t know that, but it makes practical sense. If you see a ship and then it disappears over the horizon that means it is faster than you. You ain't goinna catch it! :D
Daniel Bastaja
danielbastaja@...
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On Mar 28, 2022, at 8:19 PM, Perry & Charly <drchuper@...> wrote:
Another step in the ID confirmation continuum I suppose, as has arisen in ¡°Big Year¡± claims: from visual ID to auditory ID of calls by experienced birders .. now to satellite confirmation!
There¡¯s a somewhat similar situation that can arise in maritime law enforcement. In the good old days of 'Britannia ruled the waves' (and hence made the rules), a warship that encountered an intruding vessel in their national waters could pursue it out of there and around the world if need be, so long as it maintained ¡°fresh pursuit¡±, which was taken to mean continuous visual contact. If the offender made it over the horizon the pursuit had to be terminated.
Then along came satellites .. could ¡°fresh pursuit¡± be maintained from outer space? Not sure if that question has been resolved as yet.
Perry Edwards
North Vancouver
On Mar 28, 2022, at 9:10 AM, Derek Matthews <Derek@...> wrote:
That's a really good question Dan!
With more satellite tracking becoming available and the Motus system
expanding (motus.org), there are likely to be many more species that are
recorded but not necessarily seen in a country (or province).
Not sure the Ring-billed Gull's choice of country was a particularly good
one!
Derek Matthews
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Daniel
Bastaja
Sent: March 28, 2022 8:17 AM
To: Vanbirds <[email protected]>
Subject: [vanbcbirds] There but unseen
A question for birders. If satellite tracking shows that a bird was in, or
flew over a country (or a province like B.C.) where the species has never
been seen before, does it count as an official record even though nobody
actually saw it? If anyone knows, your comments would be appreciated.
This is the first question that came to mind when I read this article about
a vagrant Ring-billed Gull in Europe.
Daniel Bastaja
danielbastaja@...
