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Henslow's Sparrow

A good way to start is to get a field guide for your area. Spend some time over lunch just browsing through it. You'll notice that birds with similar shapes are grouped together. Then when you see a bird like your plover, you'll have a rough idea what type of bird it is and where in the guide to look for it. And don't worry about being unskilled. Everybody was unskilled at some point (and some of us still are!). The idea is to have fun, not stress out.

Aurora Borealis from north central Oregon.

Scaly-breasted Mannikins are indeed not native to California, but they appear to have established themselves there. (They've been in Hawaii for quite a while now...) They are in the family Estrildidae, with the waxbills. "Finch" is an imprecise term, often used to refer to any little bird with a seed-eater's bill, but most of our finches are in the family Fringillidae. Grosbeak is another term without a taxonomic meaning -- just here in the US, Evening and Pine Grosbeaks are in the Fringillidae, whereas Rose-breasted, Black-headed, and Yellow are in the Cardinalidae.

The OP's bird is a Yellow Warbler. The apparent black cap is a shadow -- the clinching mark is the yellow visible in the tail. Our only other warbler with yellow in the tail is American Redstart, and they only show it in the basal half. Wilson's have an entirely gray undertail that contrasts well with the undertail coverts.

White River Falls in north central Oregon.

Prairie Warbler by Mark Goodwin, on Flickr

Eastern Sierras The Mitten, Navajo Tribal Park, Monument Valley, AZ.

Seen today on Bastian Island just south of Empire Louisiana. 2 individuals 1. Possible young? 2.

A few days old, but in my defense I just got back from my trip 😛 Black Skimmer with chicks, Navarre, FL by Christopher Clark, on Flickr

I can agree with Psweet, plus a lot of ducks are molting right now, which can make for some odd looking birds.

They do lose the spots, but these look like juveniles -- the triple bars on the wing coverts are good marks for that.

The flying bird is a Common Nighthawk. I'm not sure about the first one -- at that age, I'm not sure how to rule out Chuck-will's Widow.

The white duck is indeed a domestic. The others appear to be at least part Mallard (domestic or Black Duck ancestors wouldn't be surprising) -- white in the tail and flank feathers with internal barring are Mallard traits.

Yes, Spotted Sandpipers

I see that. Thanks

Notice the stockier, shorter bill.

My first thought was that there was too much tail for a Calliope, but after a quick check, I think you're right. (Although, this is one of the species where you shouldn't be allowed to count it until you've seen a breeding male -- they're spectacular.)

Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird.

So the original guess of a grosbeak was in the right family.

"Sounds like a Red-Winged Blackbird", says the half-deaf guy.

Older field guides may use the previous name for the bird, Nutmeg Mannikin. A member of the finch family.

Scaly-breasted Munia?

Welcome. You must be in Calif or Texas. This is an introduced species....Scaly Brested Munia.

On these hot days you gotta use what ever shade you can grow!

Looks like another Coop. Sharpies have blurrier streaking below and less graduated tails. Also, if you're not up in the mountains, it's probably too early to expect Sharpies.

Agreed

Agreed.

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That is for sure the way to ID Tree and violent green. So great observation

Perfect! Thank you so much😊

Looks like a Red-winged Blackbird.

I found mine on the internet.

Yes, Violet-green Swallow

Pine Siskin

Yellow Warbler.

Agreed!! I’ll pay for the travel expenses, and you get ALL of the EUSTs and HOSPs.

Someone should round up all of the starlings and House Sparrows and take them back to Eurasia where they belong.

There's always a rebel in the group.

Mount Shasta Florence Oregon waterfront

Phinizy Swamp and Nature Park, Augusta, GA

Tallulah Gorge, Georgia

Milky Way over Center Ridge School. Wasco County, Oregon

Thanks, @Liam ! I'm glad this riddle was solved. I looked at this photo for about 15 minutes this morning and couldn't commit one way or the other. It didn't look right for a mature BHNU, but eBird had no record of a PYNU this side of the Great Plains.