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Tonight is the first time the juvenile Great Horned Owls came to the yard before dark. It gave a chance to get some better pics of them playing.

White Ibis flyby

ittern

Gray Catbird? Although it may have too much bill. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray_Catbird

Spruce Grouse. I have seen them before (maybe when I was 10) but this was the first time I could report one to eBird! So friendly

Black Skimmer at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve yesterday.

Looks like a Trail's Flycatcher with moderate primary projection and a weak eyering. Trail's includes Willow and Alder and they are almost impossible to tell apart without hearing them vocalize. In June both are in Illinois.

You may have noticed a theme developing but as well as being in my overall top ten of favourite birds they are now my Number 1 for entertainment value (if you get a chance just watch them for a while). This one snagged a crayfish and resisted several sibling attacks (including grabbing its miniscule wing and trying to drag it underwater) before needing several attempts to swallow it. They are amazingly self confident at this age - one of the chicks had a confrontation with a Canada Goose and the goose backed off (the adults routinely chased off Mute Swans).

That is a young Eastern Towhee.

I also like Alder. The greenish back, flat head, distinct eyering, and compact shape all favor Alder over Willow.

Trail’s. If Alder is the predominant choice, that seems fine.

I happened to catch these two immature Bald Eagles in a little squabble of a food tidbit. This was taken in Vermont

Welcome to Whatbird! That’s an immature Eastern Towhee.

Or is there? Use your imagination!

16. Bank Swallow 17.Least Bittern 18. Dickcissel Hope I posted this correctly, lol

14 Yellow-billed Cuckoo!!!

Boat-tailed would be pretty unheard of this far from the coast.

Looks like a Common Grackle to me but I haven't ever lived in the southeast so I have pretty limited experience with Boat-tailed.

3 Field Sparrow. 4 Yellow-throated Warbler. 5 American Goldfinch.

Looks good for a juvenile Black-chinned Sparrow Which begs the question, how did you see it???!! I have never seen a female or juvenile Black-chin, they are notoriously difficult to see. The males perch up to sing so they aren't too hard to see, but its pretty impressive that you got a picture of a juvenile!

2 Dark-eyed Junco.

Gorgeous!

Sparrows can be a challenge but it may be worth learning Song Sparrows. First, they're one of the most common sparrow species, so you're likely to see them everywhere. Second, because they're common, they're a good sparrow to use to compare others to.. "Well, it was kind of like a Song Sparrow but it didn't have any streaks or malar stripes (those dark lines coming from the base of the bill down either side of the throat), etc." So if you see the circled markings, start with Song Sparrow:

Were you imagining an Evil Twin bird with a goatee? Just me, I guess.

I think the bill is too long for a Ruby-throated.

I like Say's Phoebe on this one. At work here in Tucson we had a pair that nested in our covered parking every year so we saw them a lot. We were even feeding them meal worms so the youngins would get done before the big heat came. But this year a pair of Western Kingbirds came in and ran off the Say's Phoebes. Then a pair of Northern Mockingbirds ran off the Kingbird and continue to terrorize the parking lot. One had a Greater Roadrunner pinned down in a bush for 10 minutes 2 days ago.

That's not what I was imagining for the second bird!

Male Blue Grosbeaks (and all other migratory Passerina buntings) do not molt into definitive plumage until their second fall. This bird is a one-year-old.

You got it! Notice the huge bill ruling out Indigo Bunting

Yes, that's a Carolina Wren.

Actually this one is better: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/75648041#_ga=2.141797754.932755779.1595289788-1556827482.1594701209

A very cute bushtit and a very colorful red-crowned parrot, apparently endangered in its native habitat.

Just after sunset, we frequently have 2 to 3 Great Horned Owls come up to the yard. Tonight one posed in the Oak tree.

Not the best quality, but a pretty bird.

This elegant Brown Pelican has a fishing lure caught in its right wing, as shown in one of these photos (taken by my daughter). International Bird Rescue in the Bay area has been made aware.

83. Burrowing Owl _91A8744.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr 84. Anna's Hummingbird IMGP3551.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr 85. Black-vented Shearwater _91A8318.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr 86. Long-billed Curlew _91A0402.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr 87. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron _91A7691.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr 88. Snowy Egret _91A7697.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr 89. Western Gull _91A7712-2.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr 90. Townsend's Warbler _91A8803.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr

79: Brown Booby Cape May Brown Booby Sept., 2011 by Greg Miller, on Flickr 80: Virginia Rail Virginia Rail by Greg Miller, on Flickr 81: Red Crossbill Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) by Greg Miller, on Flickr 82: King Eider King Eider Drake by Greg Miller, on Flickr

So we just post our bird photos? *confused...........* 65. American Black Duck American Black Duck by MerMaeve, on Flickr 66. Green Heron Green Heron by MerMaeve, on Flickr 67. White-Crowned Sparrow White-Crowned Sparrow by MerMaeve, on Flickr 68. Lincoln's Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow by MerMaeve, on Flickr 69. Orchard Oriole Orchard Oriole by MerMaeve, on Flickr 70. Herring Gull Herring Gull by MerMaeve, on Flickr 71. Red-winged Blackbird Red-winged Blackbird by MerMaeve, on Flickr 72. Black-necked Stilt Lifer Black-necked Stilt by MerMaeve, on Flickr 73. Brown Creeper Brown Creeper! by MerMaeve, on Flickr 74. Snowy Owl Snowy Owl.... by MerMaeve, on Flickr 75. Dark-eyed Junco Dark-eyed Junco close up by MerMaeve, on Flickr

54. Siberian Accentor Siberian Accentor!! by Bridget Spencer, on Flickr 55. Bar-tailed Godwit Bar-tailed Godwit! by Bridget Spencer, on Flickr 56. Tufted Duck Tufted Duck! by Bridget Spencer, on Flickr 57. Buff-breasted Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper by Bridget Spencer, on Flickr 58. Grasshopper Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow by Bridget Spencer, on Flickr 59. Brewer's Sparrow Brewer's Sparrow by Bridget Spencer, on Flickr 60. Hoary Redpoll Hoary Redpoll by Bridget Spencer, on Flickr 61. Great Grey Owl Great Grey Owl by Bridget Spencer, on Flickr 62. Brant Brant! by Bridget Spencer, on Flickr 63. Cassin's Vireo Cassin's Vireo by Bridget Spencer, on Flickr 64. Common Murre Common Murre by Bridget Spencer, on Flickr

26. Black-throated Blue Warbler 691A6573.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr 27. Semipalmated Plover Semipalmated Plover-5.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr 28. Dickcissel Dickcissel.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr 29. Harlequin Duck Harlequin Duck - Michigan - 12/2015 by chipperatl2, on Flickr 30. Osprey 691A3652.jpg by chipperatl2, on Flickr

1. Barred Owl 2. Bobolink 3. Red-breasted Merganser 5. Bonaparte’s Gull

Red Shouldered Hawk With watersnake Botanic Gardens Ft Worth 5-18 Red Shouldered HAwk by johnd1964, on Flickr

We just got a couple of chicklets and this one is an Ameracauna.

From a couple days ago - Mourning Dove carrying nesting material: And a Cedar Waxwing:

Yea Were back Tri Colored Heron Anahac NWR 4-18 Tri Colored Heron Anahac NWR 4-18 by johnd1964, on Flickr