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American Redstart

Least Sand https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/365286111

Pectoral Sandpiper

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/365265121 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/365265231

MN, 8-30-21 Least Bittern : probably the same one as a few days ago -

I’m still learning, but for me the biggest clue is the bill. Least bills are proportionally slimmer and pointier relative to the thick and blunt Western bills. Your 4th pic is a good profile where you can see the dainty bill

Chalcedon Checkerspot

Going through some old photos from earlier this year https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/365537281 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/365537331

I agree with this; density of breast streaking also favors Northern.

I was looking on google if other people had also had bad experiences about rating with ebird despite having good photos and it seems that I am not alone! I recently uploaded a bunch of Least Bittern photos to ebird and someone is descending my images with one star. It is quite difficult to recover from a bad rating of one star if only few people rate image and I hope ebird will find a solution for that in near future. For the moment, if some of you want to rate my Bittern images, they can be found on this list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S93851865 Thanks,

I was thinking maybe REVI for 2?

Haha! I got so excited about seeing a new bird, that I didn't even see the LENI map in my field guide. I just found that first nighthawk and kept flipping pages. 😂

Scrub-Jay.

You've got an Eastern Kingbird, I believe.

Townsend's Solitaire https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/365519531

A commendable effort, I’d just suggest using more emojis next time

Or maybe I just shouldn’t try to identify birds on a phone standing in the ocean at a beach

Hermit Thrush

It's not identifiable in terms of plumage, but by the late date is probably referable to Rufous. Though, one has to wonder how much difficult IDs like this simply become positive feedback loops, rather than actual representations of frequency or abundance

If you saw something that looked like this in NJ, it would be a Ruby-crowned Kinglet! 🙂

In your dreams!

78 Common Nighthawks tonight. Not a huge amount, I know, but it's a record for us.

Brandt's Cormorant

All Least.

Seen in the Florida panhandle a few weeks ago. A fearsome hunter of Cheez-its.

Finally got some decent photos to share with y’all. A pair of Bay-breasted Warblers in my yard. https://ebird.org/checklist/S94007221

This is a Nuttall's, the white back on a Downy would be visible in this photo, and you can see the barring of a Nuttall's on the back of the bird in the first photo. Also, at least in my experience, Nuttall's is the more likely species in residential areas here in Central California.

Not on the dorsal side of the feet like Blackpoll do. What we can see of the dorsal side of the feet is uniform in color and it looks dark to me. Many passerines have paler metatarsal and digit pads. This is very evident when holding birds in the hand: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/181947411 There is no striation on the mantle like I'd expect for fall Blackpoll and the bill is clearly skinny and tapered. Eyeline and supercilium are well-demarcated. This looks good for a Tennessee Warbler to me.

Indigo Bunting

Sanderling.

Why are you not birdwatching?!

Breast is too clean and pale for Dunlin, which are dingy gray on the breast from minute flecks of gray across the width. The bill is on the long side for Western Sandpiper, but still within the length range for the species.

Absolutely awesome shots! I've rated them all for you (got at least one back up to 5).

@Aidan B @BirdNrd

And nice camera work. Much better than the blurry pics of Common Nighthawks I was able to get recently.

I’m not sure some of these are identifiable.

Thirded. It's kind of hard to explain how exactly you tell them apart- I think you just need to familiarize yourself with the two species.

#1!

It was the chirps. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Acadian_Flycatcher/sounds

Least.

Least I think.

Looks like Warbling Vireo to me.

I agree that the first two birds are Pectoral Sandpipers, noting the rust-edged,dark centered back feathers and the heavily streaked breast and white belly. They may be juveniles as their medium length slightly de-curved stocky bills don't seem to have an orange base. I'll pass on the peeps. I'm no expert.

How’s this? 🐦🚫🟨👣

Bump for the question.

The supercilium ends at a point and the streaking is dense. I could certainly be wrong, though.

Yes, Hermit Thrush. Hermit Thrushes share their bold spots with the Wood Thrush, but lack the bright reddish brown nape and have buffy flanks with a reddish tail and a distinct whitish eyering.

All least again.