Ian McKerchar very kindly contacted me by email yesterday evening to inform me that my Goshawk sighting at Pennington Flash last year had not passed the scrutiny of the relevant committee. Here is his correspondence:Re: Goshawk, Pennington Flash, 10.11.09
Dear Paul,
firstly I would like to thank you for taking the time and effort to submit the above sighting to the Greater Manchester Rarities Committee for which we are very grateful.
Unfortunately, on this occasion the committee found the identification of the bird to be not proven. Of course, it is important to point out that we do not necessarily consider that any mis-identification was made only that in this instance the submission failed to meet our criteria for acceptance.
Should you wish to discuss any aspect of your submission or indeed our decision please do not hesitate to contact me.Best wishes,
Ian
It was no great surprise really, but disappointing nonetheless. I assume it was dismissed as a juvenile female Sparrowhawk, but considering I am a pretty experienced birder and that I saw the Goshawk down to twenty yards I do find the decision a little puzzling…
I suppose it reinforces the idea that if you don’t belong to the right clique or crowd then you are unlikely to be believed…
Until later.
Forget it Paul.
ReplyDeleteSome of these idiots don't even go out in the field.
They wouldn't know the difference between a crow and a sparrow.
Keith
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteOn my never ending quest to find a Spotted Flycatcher anywhere,never mind Chester,we went to Arley Gardens near Northwich.........
ARLEY GARDENS
19-06-2010
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER 2
SPARROWHAWK 1
COMMON BUZZARD 1
BLACKCAP 1
CHIFFCHAFF 2
COMMON WHITETHROAT 1
REDSTART 1
PIED WAGTAIL 3
NUTHATCH 2
SPOTTED FLYCATCHER 0
CHEERS DENZIL
Hi Paul
ReplyDeletePENMON POINT
ANGLESEY
20-06-2010
COMMON WHITETHROAT 3
CHIFFCHAFF 2
PUFFIN c100
RAZORBILL c100
GUILLEMOT c50
ROCK PIPIT 3
COMMON SCOTER c20
OYSTERCATCHER 2
SHAG 3
KESTREL 1
SEDGE WARBLER 3
COMMON BUZZARD 1
WILLOW WARBLER 2
LINNET 5
MEADOW PIPIT 5
BLACKCAP 2
CEMLYN LAGOON
ANGLESEY
20-06-2010
COMMON TERN c150
SEDGE WARBLER 5
OYSTERCATCHER 8
WILLOW WARBLER 3
STONECHAT 1
COMMON WHITETHROAT 6
LINNET c20
SAND MARTIN 4
MEADOW PIPIT 7
SPARROWHAWK 1
SANDWICH TERN c3000
RED BREASTED MERGANSER 2
ARCTIC TERN c50
MEDITERRANEAN GULL 2
CHEERS DENZIL
Keith.
ReplyDeleteThats a bit strong. Most of the people who sit on rarities committees I know asre very, very good birders who spend as much time as possible in the field - certainly the Cheshire ones I know.
As Ian points out the rejection doesn't mean it wasn't a Goshawk. Rarities Committees need to see why the commoner species was ruled out. I don't know what Paul wrote i nhis description but I've had records rejected because I haven't ruled out a commoner species and given my reasoning behind why it couldn't have been a commoner species.
Paul, it is a shame that despite your admitted assumptions and confusion with regards our decision on your Goshawk submission, you failed to take me up on my offer to 'discuss any aspect of your submission or indeed our decision'. Instead, your apparent accusation that our decision was in some way driven by a lack of belonging to the right clique or crowd is actually rather offensive. This really couldn't be further from the case. I have worked hard to ensure that our county rarities committee is transparent and rightly open as to be able to jutsify and discuss the reasons for it's decisions. If observers decide not to bother to ask the reasons why, despite being offered, then what more can we do?
ReplyDeleteIan McKerchar