OBRC reports time! - plus a sample (Mississippi Kite)

Putting out a request - if you found (or have photos) of an OBRC rarity from this spring - could you send it along to the OBRC?! The email is obrc@ofo.ca


When I acted as secretary for 2013 birds, it was funny how rarities that arrived in January-March (very few) had TONS of documentation submitted, but then when mega's started arriving in April/May - we were all busy birding (then busy with work/summer in June-August) - and many of the most exciting birds were largely forgotten.


So I'm putting out the request! If you've got some spare time, please send along your reports/notes/photos etc! It would be greatly appreciated.


Below is a sample of a (short) OBRC report I wrote for the Mississippi Kite I found this spring... Reports don't need to be long, they just need the relevant information in relation to the sighting, as well as enough details to seal the deal on the ID... In this case, I had photos!

Here's a look at it:


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OBRC Report – Mississippi Kite One – 1st basic
Just east of Wheatley P.P. in a cottage backyard right on the lakeshore.
~2:50pm – May 14, 2014

Optics: Vortex Razor 20-60x Spotting Scope. Canon 1DM4 + 600mm F4 lens.

Circumstances:    After heavy rain/t-storms, the sun showed briefly and I could see low level clouds racing from the NE along the lakeshore. I decided to do a combo sky/lake watch for rarities. In less than 10 minutes I had a medium-sized (pointed wing) raptor with 6-7 Turkey Vultures and 1 RT Hawk. It was higher than the others, and was actually going inside the low level clouds (obscuring view) from time to time. It was only ~200-400m up.

I had somehow expected a Peregrine, but it was stupidly obvious as a MIKI when I first got it in the scope.


Description:     See photo. Signs of immaturity point to 1st basic.


Notes:    Barb Charlton was inside the cottage reading, and I yelled to her so she could come outside and observe the bird before it continued along the lakeshore.

I twitched a MIKI inside PPNP the earlier day, and 2 had been photo’d in Simcoe County earlier in the spring. 4 birds were seen in SW Michigan and another on Pelee Island. I believe Ohio also had a bird. A good spring for MIKI.


Brandon Holden

(edit - I removed my contact info, which I included)

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Hopefully a few more goodies arrive in Ontario before May is out!