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Here's a Brandt's since we don't have one here yet https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/547283671

It’s spring! https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/547662451

Double-crested Cormorant, and friends.

I have better cormorant photos of a different species, but I'll do this one for the level of interest. This was when I had only started kind of birding and I thought it was a penguin 😆. New Zealand Pied Shag. This was on a nice secluded beach on a windy spring (for the southern hemisphere) day.

More Evening Grosbeaks from here in Sacramento! These were the first chasable Evening Grosbeaks in the county in over thirty years! https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/547291071 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/547291031

I'm working from the ABA list. I have a spreadsheet with a random number generator. I check the list to which species matches that week's number. When I post that species, I remove it from the list so it won't be picked again soon. I don't always select the random species. If it's a rarity, I'll skip it and generate another number. I try to stick with species that can be found in a large part of NA for at least some part of the year. Sometimes that means the chosen bird will frequent only the east, west, midsection, or coasts. I may choose to add a second species or a group of species so that more people will have a chance to participate - chickadees or cormorants, for example. I may also combine a group of birds that may not be individually common enough for many people to have photographed. This week the species randomly chosen was one of the less common cormorants. I wanted to use the infrequent bird, and I noticed there were a few other uncommon corms, none of which merited being the bird of the week on their own. If I hadn't been on the road working from a tablet, I would have noticed DCCO had already been used. I didn't, so I threw it this week open to all corms. So my approach is select birds that are likely to have been photographed by many people, not to get as many photos as possible from each person. There are plenty of photo galleries here, including one for postings for no reason at all, with no restrictions on anyone starting a new discussion on any topic he or she chooses. (Indeed, in my opinion there are more threads than necessary, but not every thread has to appeal to every member, including me.) I plan to work through the majority of ABA list but there are some birds that aren't going to make the cut. At this time, one photo per poster per week will continue to be my standard policy.

03/19/23 just south of the Alberta Saskatchewan border. Snow buntings (2) with horned larks. I have read that non-breeding adults can be residents as far south as Wyoming.

Double-crested Cormorant: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/469763721

Looks to me like a Tree Swallow with the pure white underparts.

Long-tailed Cormorant - Kenya https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/547329741

Looks like a female Ring-necked Pheasant.

dbl crested

Ladder-backed Woodpecker.

Here's a Pelagic Cormorant https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/446394901

Some Evening Grosbeaks from here in Sacramento. Incredibly hard birds to find in the central valley. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/547036971 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/547036981

I just wanted to say thanks for doing these weekly birds. I know it might feel like a thankless job with some of the criticism you get so I just wanted to go out the way to say, Thank You.

Geez if you do more than one species you should allow more than one photo. Tis only right and in your short time making the pick you have done three this way! As for your 102 Doubles my husband thinks they are taking over the country. They do seem to be abundant in most of the U.S.

Well, eBird policy is to record birds in situ, meaning when one sees/hears a bird in real time, and they discourage camera traps and remote videos, for eBird purposes anyway. I realize that the CBRC is a different entity, but I'm not sure what their policy is on this, or if they have one. Where does one draw the line? There are a variety of ways birds are tracked, such a MOTUS, and I could see it being a slippery slope as to how these sorts of records are assessed. If you are going to accept a camera traped bird, why not one that is remotely sensed via a tracking system flying thousands of feet overhead at night? Not saying I have an opinion here or have looked into it much, but just trying to highlight some of the philosophical differences that may sway an argument one way or the other. I also realize that camera traps are vital in parts of the world where species may be critically endangered or thought to be extinct. But, I am more wondering abut official BRC stances here. Anyone here know if their BRC has a remotely sense bird policy?

Not the best shot but Neotropic & Double-crested

Greater Scaup https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/547023141

Yes, Long-eared Owl. The only similar species in your area is Great Horned Owl, which is bulkier and has horizontal barring on the chest. Your owl is slimmer with vertical barring.

Double-crested Cormorant. Grafton, central New Hampshire, October, 2018. I walked out of the hotel and got my gear out of the rental car. Too late, I realized I had locked the fob in the trunk, something I thought wasn't possible. I called the rental company, then started birding as I'd planned anyway. Adjacent to the hotel was a mini golf, small train for kiddies, and other touristy amusements. This corm was keeping company with Mallards in a pond around the fun park, in water I would have sworn wasn't deep enough to interest a diving bird this large.

Complete typo on my part, species name is fixed now 😓

Its unfortunate that you needed to explain your methods/intentions @Charlie Spencer. It seemed obvious to me that your broadened selection was intended to allow maximum participation among the members, for which I will once again say, Thank You.

I think it is basically true but may not be that helpful as it takes some time for the colour to completely transition (as in these birds), with adulthood being in summer. The lighting can also affect the apparent colour of the eye. This is an immature male in February, the eye is no longer a dark brown but not that helpful for ID. This is just my personal experience.

"Immature male," I think, is the safest term here. There are many aspects of Hooded Merganser molt, from juvs to adult especially, that are not understood well.

actually from today

I'm thinking Cedar Waxwings. Did they vocalize?

Cardinal

Brown-headed Cowbird

Flightless Cormorant...Galapagos

My best ever looks at Brant! https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/547023031

Loggerhead Shrike: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/546991041

It takes some luck for me to get a 20-species list in the backyard. This time I was helped by a couple of flyovers (Bald Eagle and two Red-Taileds) and some birds that are not uncommon but don't pass through the yard very often (Eastern Phoebe, American Robin). I wouldn't have needed as many of those lucky birds if some of the regulars had shown up (Carolina Wren, Blue Jay, Red-winged, maybe a flyover Osprey). https://ebird.org/checklist/S131306884

American Goldfinch in winter plumage.

I'm now at 205 species for the year with a Swainson's Hawk and Rufous Hummingbird. I'm currently sitting 27 species behind last year at this date.

Cedar waxwing

IMHO, these Nanday parakeets are much prettier than our Monk Parakeets: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/547371871

Can't remember which one I posted for the Double-crested Cormorant week but it wasn't this one. Huntington Beach State Park in November, 2009.

Red-tailed Hawk. You can actually see the red tail. Plus belly band. Cooper's and Sharp Shinned have long tails and short wings.

Not a good photo, but here is a Great Cormorant.

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/547023591

12 different subspecies of Red Junglefowl.