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MN, Peregrine Falcon - Juv. :

Anhinga Anhinga Wallisville TX Rookerie by johnd1964, on Flickr

Black-crowned Night Heron (Juv.) Black-crowned Night Heron (Juv.) by Johnny, on Flickr

Today, Burke County GA--American Avocet

Horned Lark today thanks to Liam.

These are two completely different, and quite interesting, behaviors. Herons and egrets do this "canopy feeding" behavior when they kind of turn into an umbrella to help them fish. There are many theories, including creating shade to attract the fish while they are hunting, letting them better see their prey in the water (like wearing sunglasses), and to camouflage themselves so that the fish think they are just a dark mass (not a predator). A very good example of this behavior is the Black Heron: https://vimeo.com/303166907. Other herons do variations of this technique, including the confusing, outstreched-wing dance of the Reddish Egret and the bright yellow feet of Black Herons, Little Egrets, Snowy Egrets, etc. help attract their prey while they sometimes spread their wings in ambush. Anhingas and cormorants, on the other hand, spread their wings due to their biological and behavioral needs. Since they do not have oil glands to keep their feathers waterproof like most birds do (they need to be able to dive into the water), they need to spread their wings to dry them and to absorb heat. Of course, herons and egrets also sun themselves by exposing the undersides of their wings, too. Sources: https://www.audubon.org/news/watch-black-heron-fool-fish-turning-umbrella https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anhinga

I have a bug that most people like! Praying mantis - hopefully eating bugs in my flower pot!

Tobacco Hornworm (Carolina Sphinx moth). We found 8 of these destroying our tomato plants!

I don’t see a band on either of them, so probably just ferals. They have the appearance of being adolescents, perhaps nestmates. They are Barred ash red, same color as the bird we have been discussing in the other post. Three colors in domestic rock doves, blue, ash red and brown, with blue being the wild color. All others are derivatives of these three color families, with genetic factors altering their appearance.

Thanks all, next episode will feature Sultry Starlings-the untold story.

Click bait notwithstanding, I think both are Yellow Warblers. The yellow on the undertail rules out any other warbler. With the second bird, the lighting and exposure have served to wash out the belly and the face. The thin eyering is exaggerated and the eye itself is reduced in appearance.

American Avocet - and a study in symmetry DuPage Co., IL P.S. I love all the photos on this thread - even trying to be judicious I keep running out of 💗s!! 🙃

Pine.

I am thinking a juvenile Pine Warbler. The yellow feathers are it molting into adult plumage, and I don't think juvenile Yellow Warblers would have that faint eyeline. The habitat makes sense too.

Look like cormorants.

Ultronia Underwing Moth

# 1 Say's Phoebe - peach belly, dark bill, buff wing bars #2 Guessing (female/young) House Finch, based on that streaky belly, but the bill angle is tricky.

Snowy Egret.

Yes, I agree with all your IDs. For the Snowy Egret, note the medium size, white overall, black bill, black legs, and yellow feet. For the Great Egret, note the large size, white overall, yellow bill, and black feet and legs. You can differentiate these two herons by their bill color: Snowies have thin black bills while Greats have dagger-like yellow bills. Also, Greats have black feet while Snowies have yellow feet. If seen in comparison/with experience, you can also notice that Greats are much larger and have longer necks.

Some variety of Domestic Rock Pigeon but I'm not familiar with them. Maybe @Pigeon will see this post. He can tell you what they are.

This is a Solitary Sandpiper. It differs from nonbreeding Spotteds by its longer greenish legs (not yellow) and a white speckled (not plain) brown back. The eyering is not always distinct, especially when the bird is at a distance.

Click bait!

Also when a bird is molting into a different plumage, the exact pattern of the colors will vary depending on exactly which feathers this particular bird has shed and regrown in the new colors. So trying to identify exactly where the colors are in this case isn't very helpful. Many birds look different as juveniles, so when they shed their first set of feathers the new ones grow in different colors and patterns. As mentioned above, some even go through several changes before they become adults. Also quite a few species have breeding and non-breeding plumage, so they look different at different times of year, with molts in between. One hint that you may be dealing with molting is if the colors aren't completely symmetrical, and also that birds in molting sometimes look disheveled - they may have loose downy feathers hanging out, or have pin feathers that haven't fully emerged making them look less smooth and shiny than usual. When there are really irregular or asymmetrical patterns, like a white area on one wing but not the other, that also may be leucism (the bird lacks color in some feathers that normally are colored).

Yes, Red-eyed. The cap is much too dark for a Philadelphia and they are also a different shape -- Red-eyeds have more of an elongated appearance with smaller eyes, larger bills, and more space between the eyes and the bill.

Blue Grosbeak by Mark Goodwin, on Flickr

young red-tailed Hawk with the light colored eyes and barred tail.

Not any more.

Yes, this is a Yellowlegs. I would say Lesser due to the bill proportion, straight bill, shorter neck, and rounded head.

Bonapartes Gull 2016 Bonapartes Gull by johnd1964, on Flickr

@akandula @Mindy Smith @Bird Brain Thanks so much you guys! I am still learning! I am so grateful that birders are so happy to share their wealth of knowledge!

I am seeing a little bit of dirty yellow legs on top image. The breast streaking continues down from the neck to the upper belly in image 3 and 4 and ends crisply. Pectoral would be my best thought. Baird’s are rather squat sitting birds ,from the knee joint up is minimal.

Looks like a Warbling Vireo in poor lighting to me.

MN, 8-18-19 :

Going by ABA rules, no, they are not countable. I believe the only countable parakeets/parrots in FL are Monk, Nanday, and White-winged Parakeets.

Domestic Muscovies in Florida have multiplied exponentially and have been deemed countable by the ABA. On eBird you'll see an option for Muscovy Duck (Established Feral).

These are American White Pelicans. The black on the trailing edge of the wings along with the stubby tail and short legs are good ID marks for them.

I agree with an adult male Lesser Goldfinch. Note the small size, short, conical bill, and notched tail. Adult males have yellow underparts, a black cap, white patches on wings, and a dull green to black back. Females and immature males are drabber and don't have the black cap but have dull green backs, dull yellow underparts, and a white patch on their wings.

This is actually a Lesser Goldfinch. Sparrows tend to have blunter bills and duller colors than finches.

Great Crested Flycatcher.

Yes, this looks like an adult female Yellow Warbler. Note the round head, black eye, and stout bill. While males have a greenish back and chestnut streaks on the breast and belly, females are yellow overall with a yellow-green back. You can differentiate this warbler from all other North American Warblers due to the unique yellow undertail.

Charlie is correct. This is a very small sampling of all the varieties of domestic pigeons. The color you pointed out is a barred ash red, one of the more common colors in most varieties of pigeons.

I think this is a Hooded Oriole.🙂 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Oriole/id

Yes, Yellow for sure.

I'm only going out to look for a Goldfinch

Put down the pick-axe and the pan, and get out of the car. There's not enough left to cover the trip out.

MN, 8-4-19 Great Egret :