Hi Folks,

Sometimes jokes backfire.....I sent the message, attached below, out to
the Ohio Birds Listserv earlier today.  There are several hundred
subscribers to the listserv.  Unfortunately a lot of people didn't
realize that it was April Fool's Day, and thus didn't find the post too
funny once they realized it was actually a joke (though some did and
congratulated me on a great April Fool's Joke).

There has been a tradition on the Ohio Birds Listserv to post humorous &
improbable bird sightings on April Fool's Day.  See last year's postings
of new hybrid birds & Citrine Wagtails
(http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/ohio-birds/2004-April/date.html)
as evidence of this tradition.

The lesson to be learned from this is: If you're going to post an
improbable bird sighting on April Fool's Day, don't provide photographic
supporting evidence of the sighting because people take it a little too
seriously.

Anyways, I hope you all will get a laugh out of my strange & unusual
bird sighting, posted below.

Enjoy!

Casey

P.S.

Yes the sighting was an April Fool's Joke.  The birds in question are
Razorbills photographed in the summer of 2001 off the coast of Cape
Breton in northern Nova Scotia.
************************************************************************
****
On Behalf Of TUCKER, Casey
Sent: Friday, April 01, 2005 10:27 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: April 1 bird sighting--Prairie Oaks Metropark

Hi Folks!

I'm hoping some of the members of this list will be able to help me with
an identification.

I stopped by the Prairie Oaks Metropark outside of Columbus, off of Rte
142, before going in to work today.

There wasn't too much out of the ordinary except for these two birds
that I saw on the pond which previously held a King Rail last year.

The birds were predominantly dark with white under-bellies.  They were
roughly about the size of a Ring-billed Gull.  Their bills seemed to be
compressed from side-to-side so that they appeared to be vertically
flattened, as opposed to the lateral compression of a duck's bill.  The
bill also appeared to have a white stripe through it.

I was able to get my camera set up in time to snap off a photo of the
birds in flight as they were spooked by a herd of early-morning joggers,
and they do appear to have webbed-feet.

I've posted a photo of the birds at the following site.  

http://caseybirdphotos.blogspot.com/

I do hope someone will be able to help with an identification of this
species.

Who know maybe it will even be a state record.

Thanks,

Casey
Columbus, OH