~ Click on the TITLES below for the texts of each article ~
Notes: Several articles have been edited with minor changes in wording, punctuation, or layout; the most thorough edits were completed in 2016. Some information in earlier articles may be outdated or in need of revision, and in some cases such content has been corrected, clarified, or updated in Author's Notes or in subsequent Hindsight articles. Also, some older ID references cited in the articles have proven less useful in recent years or have been eclipsed by newer references. And, over the years, a few Hindsight articles were edited without the author's knowledge before they were published in The Loon, but they are included here with their original content.
* * *
FIFTY YEARS: Comments on fifty years of birding experience
(The Loon 84:47-50 / Spring 2012)
MBW II: ID issues on Minnesota Birding Weekends, continued
(The Loon 83:187-190 / Winter 2011-12)
MBW I: ID issues on recent Minnesota Birding Weekends
(The Loon 83:136-139 / Fall 2011)
THE F WORD: Comments on the Request For Documentation form
(The Loon 83:85-88 / Summer 2011)
(The Loon 83:38-41 / Spring 2011)
(The Loon 82:186-188 / Winter 2010-11)
SECOND LOOKS II: Updates and clarifications of Hindsight articles, 2000-present
(The Loon 82:138-142 / Fall 2010)
SECOND LOOKS I: Updates and clarifications of Hindsight articles, 1995-99
(The Loon 82:89-92 / Summer 2010)
INTERNET IV: Possible ID errors posted on MOU-net, Spring 2010
(The Loon 82:38-41 / Spring 2010)
FORESIGHT: Comments on potential first state records
(The Loon 81:196-201 / Winter 2009-10)
(The Loon 81:152-156 / Fall 2009)
INTERNET III: ID postings on Frontiers of Field Identification and MOU-net
(The Loon 81:100-105 / Summer 2009)
(The Loon 81:43-47 / Spring 2009)
(The Loon 80:226-230 / Winter 2008-09)
(The Loon 80:166-171 / Fall 2008)
(The Loon 80:94-100 / Summer 2008)
INTERNET II: Possible ID errors posted on MOU-net, Spring 2008
(The Loon 80:40-44 / Spring 2008)
ID JOURNALS II: Update on bird ID references, especially birding journals
(The Loon 79:230-234 / Winter 2007-08)
(The Loon 79:177-182 / Fall 2007)
(The Loon 79:111-115 / Summer 2007)
IDENTITY THEFT: Most frequently misidentified birds
(The Loon 79:44-50 / Spring 2007)
SWANS II: Comments on two photographed swans
(The Loon 78:227-231 / Winter 2006-07)
PHOTOGRAPHS: Difficulties with using photos in ID articles
(The Loon 78:172-175 / Fall 2006)
(The Loon 78:111-114 / Summer 2006)
(The Loon 78:48-52 / Spring 2006)
BEHAVIOR: Bird behavior clues to ID
(The Loon 77:251-256 / Winter 2005-06)
(The Loon 77:175-180 / Fall 2005)
(The Loon 77:111-114 / Summer 2005)
LAST TEN YEARS II: Revision of information from previous Hindsight articles
(The Loon 77:41-47 / Spring 2005)
LAST TEN YEARS I: Index to first 10 years of Hindsight articles
(The Loon 76:228-232 / Winter 2004-05)
SPLITTING: Potential splits based on geographic populations
(The Loon 76:162-165 / Fall 2004)
HONKERS: Cackling vs Canada Goose ID
(The Loon 76:99-102 / Summer 2004)
INTERNET I: MOU-net postings on revised Minnesota checklist
(The Loon 76:48-50 / Spring 2004)
(The Loon 75:230-234 / Winter 2003-04)
IDENTIFAKATION: Assumptions made in bird ID
(The Loon 75:166-170 / Fall 2003)
FIELD NOTES III: Entries from a bird ID notebook, conclusion
(The Loon 75:111-114 / Summer 2003)
MEASUREMENTS: Estimating distance, time, number, and size
(The Loon 75:50-52 / Spring 2003)
(The Loon 74:233-237 / Winter 2002-03)
(The Loon 74:168-173 / Fall 2002)
(The Loon 74:110-112 / Summer 2002)
PAINTED BUNTINGS & SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHERS
(The Loon 74:42-44 / Spring 2002)
HINDSIGHT: Reliability of eyewitness testimony and of bird observations
(The Loon 73:240-242 / Winter 2001-02)
(The Loon 73:171-174 / Fall 2001)
FIELD NOTES II: Entries from a bird ID notebook, continued
(The Loon 73:118-121/ Summer 2001)
MOURC II: (Species most frequently not accepted by MOURC
(The Loon 73:48-53 / Spring 2001)
MOURC I: MOU Records Committee procedures
(The Loon 72:235-239 / Winter 2000-01)
FIELD NOTES I: Entries from a bird ID notebook
(The Loon 72:170-176 / Fall 2000)
(The Loon 72:107-110 / Summer 2000)
(The Loon 72:46-51 / Spring 2000)
ID JOURNALS I: Journal articles on bird ID
(The Loon 71:229-231 / Winter 1999-2000)
EGO, ID, I.D.: Author’s personal ID difficulties
(The Loon 71:160-164 / Fall 1999)
(The Loon 71:107-111 / Summer 1999)
SONGS IV: Vocalizations: sparrows to winter finches
(The Loon 71:42-46 / Spring 1999)
MAPS: Range and habitat clues to bird ID
(The Loon 70:232-237 / Winter 1998-99)
ID BOOKS: Field guides and other books on bird ID
(The Loon 70:160-167 / Fall 1998)
(The Loon 70:110-115 / Summer 1998)
SONGS III: Warbler vocalizations
(The Loon 70:52-57 / Spring 1998)
(The Loon 69:214-216 / Winter 1997-98)
(The Loon 69:155-160 / Fall 1997)
(The Loon 69:95-99 / Summer 1997)
SONGS II: Vocalizations: flycatchers to starling
(The Loon 69:32-37 / Spring 1997)
FIRST STATE RECORDS II: ID of potential first state records, Part 2
(The Loon 68:232-237 / Winter 1996-97)
(The Loon 68:168-172 / Fall 1996)
WESTERN SANDPIPER: ID of “peeps”
(The Loon 68:121-124 / Summer 1996)
SONGS I: Vocalizations of non-passerines
(The Loon 68:62-66 / Spring 1996)
FIRST STATE RECORDS I: ID of potential first state records, Part 1
(The Loon 67:232-237 / Winter 1995-96)
(The Loon 67:157-161 / Fall 1995)
(The Loon 67:100-103 / Summer 1995)
CALENDAR: ID by awareness of early/late dates
(The Loon 67:40-44 / Spring 1995)
(The Loon 66:194-195 / Winter 1994-95)
This collection of articles, with the addition of 100+ photographs (and a new cover in the 3rd printing), has been compiled and published by Stone Ridge Press – see https://thephotonaturalist.com/shop. Birding By Hindsight: A Second Look at Bird Identification is also available directly from the author for $15 (tax incl.) at all MBWeekends. Or add $5 for USPS delivery, and order from Kim R. Eckert, 1921 W. Kent Rd., Duluth MN 55812; e-mail eckertkr@gmail.com. And please note the author receives no compensation from sales – all royalties are donated to Friends of Sax-Zim Bog (saxzim.org).
The BIRDING BY HINDSIGHT series of articles on bird identification had appeared in The Loon, journal of the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union, since the Winter 1994-95 issue; the final installment was in the Spring 2012 issue.
Note: A list of corrections and additions to this print edition of Birding By Hindsight
has been compliled as an insert to be placed in all remaining copies of the book. The author would also appreciate hearing of any additional errors that readers happen to find. Those who already have a copy of the book can CLICK HERE for this set of corrections and additions.
