SPRING 2010 Bird ID Thread

[paulnj]

tough angle to ID, but looks to be a hermit thrush from head patterning.

This one was tough to get a shot of as it hid deep in the brush, poor shots but the best I could get. The blue in the eye is from using the onboard flash in an attempt to get more light. I'm not sure of the id at all...

[scott-devon]

Thanks Paul, I'll have to try for a better shot next time out.

[paulnj]

Thanks Paul, I'll have to try for a better shot next time out.

with thrushes, the chest helps , but I am FAIRLY confident in my ID

[ksbryan0]

I'm not sure what I have here...at first, when I saw a bit of a hooked beak, I thought it might be a small hawk, however it appears this guy has an alignment problem between the upper and lower bills (see the last photo), so the hook is probably due to an overgrowth issue. The body markings seem similar to a pine siskin, but I've never seen one, so this is a reach. Sorry about the lousy images, he was in a tough spot to make a good capture.

[Mike T]

I'm not sure which one it is but I'd bet it's a female or juvy Crossbill just by the bill. I'll let Paul figure out if it is a Red or White-winged.

[Mike T]

A couple more from last week. I bought myself a kayak and the first three were taken while paddling around in it. I haven't figured out a way to carry my 300mm on it safely yet but I did make a little carrier to fit my 200mm with a 2X extender on it so far it has staid dry.

Mike

[SmartWombat]

Blue tit (Parus caeruleus)

[paulnj]

A couple more from last week. I bought myself a kayak and the first three were taken while paddling around in it. I haven't figured out a way to carry my 300mm on it safely yet but I did make a little carrier to fit my 200mm with a 2X extender on it so far it has staid dry.

Mike

Wow, I really like that broudwinged hawk!

[SmartWombat]

Unkown. (Green Park, Reading, UK.)
Singng loudly from tree top perch.
Thrush sized, no red marking of Redwing, or yellow/orange of Song Thrush, or grey head of Fieldfare.
Grey appearance to underwing in flight.
Head doesn't look quite like a Mistle thrush, but that's the closest I can find in my book.
The RSPB site's description of "harsh football rattle call" fits perfectly for Mistle thrush.

Did I mention I need a longer lens?

[paulnj]

I'm not sure which one it is but I'd bet it's a female or juvy Crossbill just by the bill. I'll let Paul figure out if it is a Red or White-winged.

tough to tell for sure, but it definately a juvenile and appears to be a white winged crossbill from the image with the bold eye line.

[SmartWombat]

Male Blackbird (Turdus merula) the British variety.
Looks like he's gathering food for a brooding female.
Not as pretty as the American RWBB.

[paulnj]

That's a tough one. I was going to suggest song or mistle thrush. Having never seen one other than book or internet images is tough.

[CaraRose]

I know these are thrushes, but could someone point me to the kind, and tell me how the heck you tell the differences between different kinds of thrushes?

[CaraRose]

Spotted Sandpiper?

[paulnj]

I know these are thrushes, but could someone point me to the kind, and tell me how the heck you tell the differences between different kinds of thrushes?

HERMIT THRUSH. ID made by ruling out those it isn't from body color, chest markings, facial pattern .. location .

[paulnj]

Spotted Sandpiper?

Sure is

[CaraRose]

Is this a rusty blackbird?

[paulnj]

Is this a rusty blackbird?

rusty and brewer's are too hard to tell apart at that angle and are best ID in the field .

[Mike T]

Being today is sunday I went by three of my less crowded places to take some pictures. The first two I was hearing birds but not seeing them or seeing them but they were not letting me take their pictures. I did much better at my third stop. This park use to be a much better place to go birding but to make it more people friendly they've cut down a lot of the brush and trees.

Mike

[paulnj]

Being today is sunday I went by three of my less crowded places to take some pictures. The first two I was hearing birds but not seeing them or seeing them but they were not letting me take their pictures. I did much better at my third stop. This park use to be a much better place to go birding but to make it more people friendly they've cut down a lot of the brush and trees.

Mike

kingbird, warbling vireo, great crested flycatcher, oriole.... solitary sandpiper too

[CaraRose]

Didn't get a great shot, but Eastern Towhee?

[paulnj]

Didn't get a great shot, but Eastern Towhee?

sure is and it's a male.

[CaraRose]

Wish I had a better shot... sparrow of some sort?

[paulnj]

Wish I had a better shot... sparrow of some sort?

too hard to positively ID.

[CaraRose]

I think the migrations finally upon us here in Northern IL. Seen a ton of warblers the last few days.

Yellow Warbler?


Swamp Sparrow?




Common Yellow Throat?




Savannah Sparrow?




Ovenbirds??




Golden Winged Warbler? Sorry for the bad shot.


No idea what this was, black and red. Didn't get a great shot due to low light and how much he kept in the brush


Cropped in close. Sorry about the noise, was having to shoot at 1600