The Setup: For years, I had been lobbying the the New Jersey Bird Records Committee (NJBRC) to remove Atlantic Puffin from the list of review species. (For those of you who don't know, a review species is one that should be documented, through writing, photos, video, etc., to the state's records committee.) FINALLY, the members of NJBRC agreed, which meant that I no longer needed to document yet another Puffin sighting.
The year of the vote was 2001, so when we found yet another Atlantic Puffin in December of 2001, I assumed I was off the hook. Then, I received an ominous e-mail from Laurie Larson, secretary of NJBRC. She informed that Paul Lehman pointed out to her that the removal of Puffin as a review species was not effective until January 1, 2002, and since this record was still for 2001, it really should be documented. (IMPORTANT NOTE: I blame Laurie not one smidgeon for this. I blame Paul Lehman completely, entirely, and 100%.)
Soooooo, I wrote up full documentation for the last Atlantic Puffin to be submitted to NJBRC. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. And if any of you are wondering, yes, the record was accepted.
SIGHT RECORD REPORT FORM
New Jersey Bird Records Committee
Species: Atlantic Puffin
Scientific name: Fratercula arctica (or Fratercula offthefreakinglista, depending on whose taxonomy you use)
Number of birds: 1
Sex (if known): unknown (either that or trysexual, i.e. will try anything)
Age/plumage (if known): winter adult (NOTE: due to possibility it was female, I knew better than to ask its age)
Place, including nearest town, and county:
Seen on a pelagic trip aboard the Atlantis, sailing out of
Manasquan, NJ. The coordinates of the sighting are:
39° 57.546' - 73° 18.888'
IMPORTANT NOTE: Show this to Brian Moscatello last. If the paper
moves too much, he may throw up on it.
Date(s) & time(s) of your observations: 12/01/2001 at about 3:00 PM
First and last dates bird was present, if known: unknown (though I'm sure it has moved some)
Date of completing this form: 12/05/2001 (and under extreme duress)
Observer making this report: Paul A. Guris (The same guy who made so many of those other freakin' Puffin reports!)
Other observers (if possible, each should submit this form): Scott Barnes ... if he says "no", he's a liar. Actually, few experienced observers saw it. You probably needed to be on the upper deck (easy, Brian) to have seen it.
Who first identified it? Paul Guris (a.k.a. King Puffin)
Optical equipment used:
Nikon 8x42 Venturer binoculars (WARNING: SHAMELESS PLUS FOR MY WSB
SPONSOR! "Simply the best birding glass in existence.")
Distance from bird: approximately 200-250 yards
Weather and light conditions:
We had a home, where the Puffilos roamed, and the skies were
partly cloudy all day. Seas were 3'-4' (easy, Brian). Lighting was
generally good, though at one point the harsh light showed some of
showed some of the bird's cellulite. Damn those fluorescents!
(Hmmm. Maybe it WAS female.)
Was the bird photographed?
No (It said it was fat, and holding water. Sounds more like a
female all the time.)
Was the bird videotaped or recorded?
No (It said something about knowing where bodies were dumped at
sea, and being in the witness protection program. I elected not to
pursue the subject.)
Indicate your prior experience with this and similar species:
Come on! I see the damn thing almost annually, and you know they're
out there every year! I've seen them before, people on the
committee have seen me seeing them, and I've seen them seeing me
see them, you see then?
What books, illustrations, and advice did you consult? When?
None. Nuff said.
Was this report written from notes made during, or after, the
observation?
This is coming straight from my pointed little head. I took no notes because I thought I was off the Puffin hook. Unfortunately, a
huge, seething ball of evil incarnate who's name I won't mention (but his initials are Paul Lehman) has decided to slip the puffin
up my alcid one last time ... but I'm not bitter.
Description: Include information on the bird's plumage, shape and size, vocalizations, habitat, behavior, etc. Describe what you actually saw. Sketches are helpful. (THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE REPORT; RECORDS WITHOUT DETAILS WILL NOT BE VOTED.)
Name the species you consider ID contenders; explain how you eliminated each. If there is not complete agreement on this ID, state who disagrees and why.
The other possibilities are other alcids or scoters. They were eliminated because it wasn't any of them. It was a freaking Puffin.
OK, other alcids were knocked out due to the lack of white showing at the waterline, there was no white showing in the wing, it had a broad, complete breastband, and because the bill was freaking huge for anything but, "Survey says!", a Puffin.
Scoters are knocked out because the enormous breast band and large bill would only be found on, "Survey says!", a Puffin. Oh, yeah. And it wasn't a duck.
Sign and date the form: Paul "MrLehmanifyouevermakemedothisagainIwillhuntyoudowneviscerateyouandturnyourgutsintosuspenders" Guris