Purging the List. Sigh...

[crispycreme]

It has to happen on occasion, no? You come to a realization that the bird you ticked isn't really what you thought it was. In fact, you aren't even really sure *what* it was after careful contemplation. So, you are left with little moral choice but to... ack.. cough.. shiver.. REMOVE IT FROM THE LIST!! Well, we all share your pain! In fact, if it's done in a ritualized, methodical manner, we can all hold you up in your time of sorrow. To start things off, I shall confess and remove one bird off my Life List. I realize now that I ticked incorrectly. I was anxious, and eager to pad my self-worth. I now know that I ticked presumptuously, and unless I ticked with ungodly luck, I ticked wrong.


Therefore...


I am officially removing from my list


The Song Sparrow.


IT HATH BEEN REMOVED!!!


I shall weep for the remainder of the weekend. After that, I can look forward to correctly ID'ing it and legitimately ticking it! :)

[Jasonbirder]

I think all of us have been through this process to some extent at one point or another in our birding career!!

I did alot of birdwatching when I was young and when i got back into it in my late 20`s I had to shed a few records that seemed a bit dubious and optimistic - don`t worry too much I managed to get them all back properly!!

[Andrew]

Recently I had to examine my list after computerising it and decided the best way was to be absolutely strict and remove every dodging sighting and then in future the list is true to me and i feel no doubt about it. it made me feel my list is more 'well deserved'

[Harry Hussey]

I had a major purge of my list back around 1996,removing such unlikely sightings as a Nightjar over my suburban house(having seen some since,it flew differently as well,and was probably a late Kestrel),a Goshawk near the city(big female Sparrowhawk),Twite near where the "Gos" was(habitat all wrong),also removed sightings which may well have been what I claimed they were(Hobby in mid August,2 Yellow Wags over the Old Head etc).
Have seen them all again since,except Tree Pipit and....Pacific Golden Plover(got a bit ambitious with a juv.bird at the local estuary the first autumn after I got the then new Jonsson....).
Of the species currently on my list,I have nothing that remains in doubt,but I do have a few deeply unsatisfying birds(Water Pipit,due to poor views,being my major bugbear at the moment.Still saw enough to rule out littoralis,though!;))
Harry H

[Dave B Smith]

I had to remove Smooth-billed Ani from my Mexico list. We had spotted a number of them and clearly saw that there were no "grooves" in their bills, however all the bird guides list them as "dubious" sightings in Mexico.

Later I was reading something on the Groove-billed Ani and saw that Juveniles don't yet have the "grooves" so at least I understand where I went wrong.

I like your idea about making a ritual of the removal of the doubtful birds. Seems that would make the pain more bearable.

[crispycreme]

Well, we tried our damndest to re-acquire that Song Sparrow over the weekend. I had a tip from another birder on a good place to find it and everything, but we skunked. Ah well, we added 7 birds to our list in the process (including our first gull ID!), so I guess it wasn't all that bad of a weekend. :) :)

[Jane Turner]

Over here they (Song Sparrows) are almost exclusively found next to grain terminals ;)

[crispycreme]

Over here they (Song Sparrows) are almost exclusively found next to grain terminals ;)

Here in the desert, it'd take longer to find a grain terminal than it would the sparrow. 8-P

[birdman]

Hi crispy...

Went through the same wrenching process recently to remove Quail from my list...

I daren't do what Andrew has done, for fear of the same result.

(Deep Breath...)

[Gill Osborne]

There are a few birds that I've had to remove from my list...and a few that really didn't make it there in the first place!!!
When I first started birding properly in 1983 I used to virtually live at the Wallsend Swallow Ponds. As I walked over the hill I would often have birds suddenly shooting up into the air with a clatter of wings from my feet! I ticked them off on my list as (hangs head in shame...) Red Grouse. It wasn't until a few years later that I did actually admit to myself that they were actually Grey Partridge!!!!!! Time to rewrite my list time LOL .
Other birds which come to mind that haven't even made it to my list were...
Temmincks Stint...was at Druridge Bay and a birder showed me the stint through his scope. Unfortunately it flew up just as I focused on it and I saw it as a blur for a split second. That was a definite No-Tick!!!
I never tick anything that I don't get a proper look at...if I can't recognise it if i was on my own then I honestly can't tick it!
Others have been Velvet Scoter in March 2003 at Musselborough...didn't have my guide with me(was in the car!) and I distinctly, am 99% positive, that I saw white near the eye and on the body! When I checked the guide later that evening in our hotel I was rather annoyed with myself......I'm SURE it was a velvet but as I can't guarantee it 100% I can't tick it!!! Grrrrrrr!
Also was once told that some swans at the Wallsend Swallow Pond were Bewicks and not Whoopers...back in the 80's before I had a scope...had to remove them rather reluctantly!
I'm sure there are a few more but can't think of them just now!!! My list is on 166 at the moment....but I'm hoping for a couple more before the year is out...fingers crossed!!!