BIRDING BY HINDSIGHT: A Second Look at the Last Ten Years

[Author's Note, August 2016 – The citations below, referring to the issues of The Loon in which the Hindsight articles were published, will eventually be replaced with links to the articles in the MBWbirds.com website.]

Hindsight, they say, is 20 / 20. So, naturally, when you add 20 to 20 you come up with 40. And, appropriately enough, 40 is exactly the number of "Birding By Hindsight" articles which have appeared in these pages during the last ten years. The first installment in this series appeared back in the Winter 1994-95 issue of The Loon: it served as an introduction to what was coming and offered some general hints on bird identification. We've been going strong ever since.

Well, we've been going, anyway – perhaps not always as strong (or is it strongly?) as I'd like. Sometimes you have to wonder if anyone reads these things, given how often birders still have certain ID difficulties with hawks, shorebirds, gulls, and others – difficulties which all were addressed in one article or another. It's also disappointing to find some birders still suspicious (a few even inexplicably hostile) when it comes to the essential work of Minnesota's and other records committees. Apparently, three Hindsight articles on the MOU Records Committee either weren't enough or some readers somehow chose not to believe what they read.

I have to confess that my track record of "predicting by hindsight" leaves much to be desired. Consider the two articles (Winter 1995-96, Winter 1996-97) on guessing what the next first state records would be. I had a few right, but even more misses. We'll have to wait and see if my predictions on future species splits (Fall 2004) are more on the mark. (And if they are, credit David Sibley, not me.)

Or, consider the advice on owl ID (Fall 1997). Unless you've been holed up in some tree cavity like a....um, well – I'll think of some appropriate metaphor eventually – you certainly know there have been incredible numbers of owls this fall and winter. But will they all be correctly identified? Will some Barred Owls be mistaken for Great Grays, or some Northern Saw-whets miscalled Boreals? Perhaps that seven-year-old article on owls is still useful and not so out-of-date.

Of course, these past and future Hindsight articles will never be able to solve all your household needs. There are still many complex ID issues beyond the scope of this series, and some other ID difficulties I would never think could be difficult or subjects for articles. For example, speaking of owls, there was a credible report of an incredible misidentification a few winters back: somehow a Barred Owl was apparently mistaken for a Northern Hawk Owl. And, just this winter, a reported wood-pewee up in Canada was checked out and found to be a mockingbird instead. There are certainly other such odd and isolated examples of ID problems someone had which no article will probably ever think to address.

I hope this series has been useful, and can continue to be so. To facilitate this, an index of these Hindsight articles follows. So, the next time some friendly neighborhood ID problem arises, you can scan down this list and see if there is something in one of the 40 installments about the species or bird group in question. Note the bird listings are in checklist order, not alphabetical, followed by the season and year of the corresponding issue of The Loon. Once you locate the issue, you'll find the Hindsight article easily enough, and then you'll need to scan through that until you find what you're looking for. In most cases, there will only be a paragraph or perhaps just a sentence mentioning something about the bird and its ID, but there have been a few articles devoted entirely to a single species or genus.

Enjoy your research as you thumb through these back issues, and let's hope in the end you become as smart as the proverbial Wise Old Otter. (See, I knew I'd be able to remember that metaphor!)

Greater White-fronted Goose – Fall 2004

Ross’s Goose – Summer 1999, Spring 2001

Canada Goose – Summer 2004, Fall 2004

Cackling Goose – Summer 2004

Brant – Fall 2004

swans – Spring 1996, Winter 1998-99, Fall 1999, Fall 2000, Winter 2003-04, Fall 2004

ducks – Fall 1996, Summer 1999

American Wigeon – Spring 1996

Mallard – Spring 1996

Blue-winged Teal – Fall 1999, Fall 2001

Green-winged Teal – Fall 1999, Fall 2001, Fall 2004

Tufted Duck – Winter 1995-96

scaup – Winter 1998-99, Fall 1999, Fall 2000

Common Eider – Fall 2004

Black Scoter – Summer 2001

Common Goldeneye – Spring 1995, Spring 1996

mergansers – Winter 1998-99

gallinaceous birds – Winter 1998-99

loons – Winter 1998-99, Summer 1999, Fall 2001

Red-throated Loon – Fall 2000, Summer 2003

Arctic Loon – Winter 1995-96

Pacific Loon – Winter 1995-96, Fall 2000, Summer 2003

Western / Clark's Grebe – Spring 1996, Summer 1999, Fall 1999, Spring 2001, Summer 2003

cormorants – Winter 1995-96, Summer 2001

Anhinga – Winter 1995-96

Great Blue Heron – Fall 2004

Snowy Egret – Fall 2000

Little Blue Heron – Summer 1999, Fall 2000

vultures – Spring 1995, Winter 1995-96, Summer 1998

hawks – Summer 1998, Summer 1999

Osprey – Spring 1995, Spring 2001

Mississippi Kite – Spring 2001, Summer 2002

Bald Eagle – Spring 1995, Spring 2001

Northern Harrier – Spring 2001

accipiters – Spring 1995, Winter 1998-99, Fall 1999

Northern Goshawk – Spring 2001, Fall 2001

Red-shouldered Hawk – Spring 1995, Fall 1999, Fall 2001

Broad-winged Hawk – Spring 1995, Fall 1999, Spring 2001

Swainson’s Hawk – Winter 1998-99, Fall 1999, Spring 2001, Summer 2001

Red-tailed Hawk – Spring 2001, Fall 2004

Ferruginous Hawk – Winter 1998-99, Spring 2001

Rough-legged Hawk – Spring 1995, Spring 2001

Golden Eagle – Spring 1995, Winter 1998-99

Gyrfalcon – Spring 2001

Peregrine Falcon – Winter 1998-99

Prairie Falcon – Spring 2001

rails – Spring 1996

Virginia Rail – Fall 2000

Sora – Fall 2001

cranes – Fall 2000, Spring 2001

shorebirds – Summer 1995, Winter 1995-96, Summer 1999

Black-bellied Plover – Summer 1995, Fall 1999

American Golden-Plover – Summer 1995, Winter 1995-96, Fall 1999

Pacific Golden-Plover – Winter 1995-96

Snowy Plover – Summer 2003

Mountain Plover – Winter 1995-96

yellowlegs – Summer 1995, Fall 1999

Solitary Sandpiper – Summer 1995

Willet – Fall 2004

Spotted Sandpiper – Summer 1995

Whimbrel – Fall 2004

godwits – Summer 1995, Fall 1999, Fall 2001

Sanderling – Summer 1996

stints – Winter 1995-96

Semipalmated Sandpiper – Summer 1996

Western Sandpiper – Summer 1996, Fall 1999

Least Sandpiper – Summer 1996

White-rumped Sandpiper – Summer 1996

Baird’s Sandpiper – Summer 1995, Summer 1996, Fall 2001

Pectoral Sandpiper – Summer 1995, Winter 1995-96

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – Winter 1995-96

Purple / Rock Sandpiper – Winter 1995-96

Dunlin – Summer 1996

Stilt Sandpiper – Summer 1995

Buff-breasted Sandpiper – Summer 1995

Ruff – Summer 1995

dowitchers – Spring 1995, Summer 1995, Fall 1999, Fall 2004

Wilson's Snipe – Fall 1997

American Woodcock – Spring 1995, Spring 1996

gulls – Fall 1995, Summer 1999, Fall 1999

Laughing / Franklin's Gull – Spring 2001

Mew Gull – Fall 2004

Ring-billed Gull – Summer 2001, Fall 2001

California Gull – Spring 2001, Fall 2001

Herring Gull – Fall 2000, Fall 2002, Fall 2004

Thayer’s / Iceland Gull – Fall 2000, Spring 2001, Fall 2002

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Summer 2001, Fall 2004

Slaty-backed / Western / Great Black-backed Gull – Winter 1995-96

Glaucous Gull – Spring 2001

Roseate Tern – Winter 1995-96

Common / Forster's Tern – Spring 1995, Winter 1998-99

Rock Pigeon – Summer 2000

Eurasian Collared-Dove – Winter 1996-97, Summer 1999, Summer 2000

Mourning Dove – Summer 2000

Common Ground-Dove – Fall 2004

cuckoos – Spring 1996

owls – Spring 1996, Fall 1997

nighthawks – Spring 1995, Spring 1996, Winter 1996-97, Spring 2003

hummingbirds – Winter 1996-97

woodpeckers – Spring 1996

Yellow-bellied / Red-naped Sapsucker – Winter 1996-97

Downy / Hairy Woodpecker – Fall 1999, Fall 2004

American Three-toed Woodpecker – Winter 1998-99, Fall 2004

Black-backed Woodpecker – Winter 1998-99

Northern Flicker – Fall 2004

flycatchers – Summer 1999

Olive-sided Flycatcher – Fall 1999

wood-pewees – Spring 1995, Spring 1997, Fall 1999, Summer 2001

Empidonax flycatchers – Winter 1996-97, Spring 1997, Winter 1998-99, Fall 1999

Alder Flycatcher – Fall 2000

Willow Flycatcher – Fall 2000, Fall 2004

Eastern Phoebe – Spring 1995, Spring 1997, Summer 2003

Tropical / Cassin's / Western Kingbird – Winter 1996-97

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher – Spring 2002

shrikes – Spring 1995, Summer 2001

vireos – Spring 1997

Bell’s Vireo – Fall 2004

Warbling Vireo – Fall 2004

Philadelphia Vireo – Summer 1997, Winter 1998-99

Red-eyed Vireo – Spring 1995, Summer 2001

Gray Jay – Fall 2004

Blue Jay – Spring 1996

Western Scrub-Jay – Fall 2004

American Crow / Common Raven – Spring 1997, Fall 1999

Horned Lark – Summer 1999, Fall 2004

Purple Martin – Fall 2004

Cave Swallow – Fall 2004

Carolina Chickadee – Winter 1996-97

Black-capped Chickadee – Winter 1996-97, Spring 1997, Summer 2001, Fall 2004

Boreal Chickadee – Spring 1997, Winter 1998-99

White-breasted Nuthatch – Fall 2004

Pygmy / Brown-headed Nuthatch – Winter 1996-97

Brown Creeper – Spring 1997, Fall 2004

wrens – Fall 1999

Bewick's Wren – Fall 2004

House Wren – Spring 1995, Fall 2004

Winter Wren – Spring 1995, Fall 2004

Sedge Wren – Spring 1997

Marsh Wren – Spring 1997, Fall 2004

American Dipper – Summer 2001

Golden-crowned Kinglet – Spring 1997, Fall 2004

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Fall 2004

Northern Wheatear – Fall 2004

thrushes – Spring 1995, Spring 1997, Summer 1999

Veery – Spring 1997, Fall 2004

Gray-cheeked Thrush – Summer 2001

Swainson’s Thrush – Fall 2004

Hermit Thrush – Fall 2004

Curve-billed Thrasher – Fall 2004

European Starling – Spring 1997

American Pipit – Fall 2000, Summer 2001, Fall 2004

Sprague's Pipit – Spring 1997, Summer 1999, Fall 2000

waxwings – Spring 1997

warblers – Summer 1997, Spring 1998

Tennessee Warbler – Summer 1999, Fall 2001

Orange-crowned Warbler – Fall 2004

Nashville Warbler – Spring 1995, Fall 2004

Chestnut-sided Warbler – Summer 1999, Fall 2001, Summer 2003

Magnolia Warbler – Summer 2001, Summer 2003

Cape May Warbler – Spring 1997, Summer 2003

Black-throated Blue Warbler – Winter 1998-99

Yellow-rumped Warbler – Fall 2004

Blackburnian Warbler – Summer 2001, Summer 2003

Yellow-throated Warbler – Spring 2001, Fall 2004

Pine Warbler – Winter 1998-99

Palm Warbler – Summer 2001, Fall 2004

Bay-breasted Warbler – Summer 2003

Blackpoll Warbler – Summer 2003

Cerulean Warbler – Fall 2000, Summer 2001

Black-and-white Warbler – Summer 2003

Worm-eating Warbler – Summer 2003

waterthrushes – Winter 1998-99

Kentucky Warbler – Summer 2001

Connecticut Warbler – Spring 1995, Winter 1998-99

Mourning Warbler – Winter 1998-99

Common Yellowthroat – Spring 1997, Summer 2001, Fall 2004

Wilson’s Warbler – Fall 2004

Yellow-breasted Chat – Fall 2004

tanagers – Summer 1999, Spring 2001

Summer Tanager – Fall 2004

Spotted Towhee – Fall 2004

sparrows – Spring 1999, Summer 1999, Spring 2000

Cassin's Sparrow – Winter 1996-97

American Tree Sparrow – Spring 1995

Chipping Sparrow – Spring 1995, Spring 1998, Summer 2003

Brewer's Sparrow – Fall 2004

Savannah Sparrow – Fall 1999, Fall 2001, Fall 2004

Grasshopper Sparrow – Spring 1997

Fox Sparrow – Fall 2004

Song Sparrow – Fall 1999, Fall 2004

Swamp Sparrow – Spring 1998

White-throated Sparrow – Spring 1997

White-crowned Sparrow – Fall 2004

Dark-eyed Junco – Spring 1998, Spring 1999, Fall 2004

longspurs – Winter 1998-99, Spring 1999, Summer 1999

Snow Bunting – Spring 1999

Rose-breasted Grosbeak – Spring 1999, Summer 1999, Spring 2001

Black-headed Grosbeak – Spring 2001

Painted Bunting – Spring 2002, Fall 2004

Dickcissel – Spring 1999

Bobolink – Spring 1999

Red-winged Blackbird – Fall 2000

meadowlarks – Winter 1998-99, Spring 1999, Fall 1999

Rusty / Brewer's Blackbird – Spring 1995, Winter 1998-99, Spring 1999, Fall 2000, Summer

2003

Common Grackle – Spring 1995, Summer 2001

Great-tailed Grackle – Summer 2003

Shiny Cowbird – Winter 1996-97

Bronzed Cowbird – Fall 2004

Brown-headed Cowbird – Spring 1995, Fall 2004

"winter" finches – Spring 1999, Summer 1999

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch – Fall 2004

Pine Grosbeak – Spring 1995, Fall 2004

Purple Finch – Spring 1995, Spring 1997, Fall 2004

House Finch – Spring 2001

crossbills – Winter 1998-99, Fall 2000

Red Crossbill – Fall 2004

redpolls – Winter 1997-98, Fall 1999, Fall 2004

Pine Siskin – Fall 2000

Lesser Goldfinch – Winter 1996-97, Fall 2004

American Goldfinch – Winter 1996-97, Fall 2000

Evening Grosbeak – Fall 2004