Brett H

Awesome, thank you so much! First one I've ever seen in the northeast!

Anybody out there good with thrushes of the northeast? I saw this bird in Rye, NH today. Best guess is Gray-cheeked/Bicknell's. I think I can rule out the other thrushes since there's no reddish or buffy tinges on the face or body and no (or only a very narrow) eye ring. If I'm right, does anyone have any thoughts on whether this is a Bicknell's or gray-cheeked? I know it's almost impossible to differentiate between the two without hearing the bird sing, but I've heard some people can distinguish them based on bill color. The photos are only so-so (a little overexposed around the head and throat). Thanks as always!

I saw this gull today on the coast in Rye, New Hampshire. The smudgy area over the eye, amount of white on the breast, and chocolate-and-white rather than tan-and-white upper parts have me thinking juvenile lesser black-backed over herring gull. I appreciate your thoughts!! - Brett

Wow, thanks for the input!!! That’s exciting.

Hey everyone, I found the pictured flycatcher along the coast in Rye, New Hampshire today (9/5/2021). Given the large, almost completely orange bill, I wonder if this is an Acadian flycatcher instead of the more common willow/alder. The Acadian doesn’t normally occur in New Hampshire, but I know a couple have been seen this summer in the general area. Your thoughts would be appreciated! - Brett

YES! There were gadwall in the area. I just listened to their calls online and I think you nailed the ID. I've never heard gadwall make any noise before, so I had never heard that sound. Thanks for the help!

There are red-winged blackbirds in the recording, but I'm pretty sure they aren't making those short grunt sounds. They almost sound like woodcock "peents," only softer.

Hello all, I heard a bird make several soft grunting sounds today from an expansive saltmarsh in Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in coastal Massachusetts. You can hear the sounds at the :02, :06, and :16 marks in the attached file. The sounds are faint, but I’m hoping somebody out there will be able to tell me who made them! Thanks for trying! Unknown.m4a

I saw the pictured male surf scoter on 2/15 in Kittery, Maine. It doesn't have the usual white on the forehead. I know juveniles don't have that white spot, but they also don't have the white spot on the neck (this one does). Has anyone seen an adult male surf scoter without the white patch on the forehead? Is this very unusual? Thanks!

Agreed - red-tailed hawk. Good shot.

Just discovered one more photo. The bird was hiding in front of a mallard and I didn't notice it until now. It's definitely a lot smaller than the mallard, so teal makes sense.

Thanks Tony. Good info. Yellow-billed teal is interesting... this bird certainly does look like one of those. I'll put something crazy up on eBird and see what happens! I don't have any experience with looking for and IDing hybrid ducks. This is making me realize that duck ID isn't always cut and dry.

Thanks guys! I considered green-winged teal, but yeah, that yellow-ish bill is throwing me off.

I saw this duck in a small salt pan at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, NH on 11/14/2020. It was with a northern pintail. The yellowish bill is throwing me off. The white borders on the speculum say mallard, but I think this duck is too dark overall. Thanks for the help!!

Thanks for weighing in! You're probably right... I though the bill was too long and narrow for a sanderling but now I'm not so sure.

Hello everyone, I saw these birds among a flock of semipalmated plovers at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts on 10/24/2020. My best guess is red phalarope which are relatively year for the location/season. I appreciate your thoughts on the ID! Thanks, Brett

Can anyone tell from these poor pictures if I have a black-bellied or an American golden plover? Thanks for the help! Brett

Hey guys, thanks for weighing in. I know it's hard to tell from the photo, but this bird was a hell of a lot bigger than a least sandpiper. I'm leaning toward pectoral. But it's a bird I've never seen before and I couldn't get a great look at it, so I'm hoping for some confirmation. Glad to hear you're on board with pectoral, @Connor Cochrane!

Agree.

Is there any chance this photo is not of a lesser yellowlegs? I saw it from a distance at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport, MA today. I apologize for the crappiness of the photo. It seemed too small to be a lesser yellowlegs and the sharp contract between the breast and belly made me wonder about pectoral sandpiper. Thanks! -Brett

Thanks!

Awesome, thank you both! That's a lifer for me and a rarity where I live, even during migration (according to eBird). Thanks again!

Hello all, I saw the bird in the attached photos foraging in a maple tree in Gilford, NH this afternoon (5/13). My best guess is orange-crowned warbler although it's not a species I'm familiar with. The yellow on this bird might be too bright. However, it has the thin, pointy bill and faint eyeline. In one of the photos, I believe I can make out an orange crown. Thanks for the help! Brett

OK OK, majority rules... Eider it is!

Thank you both for you input. @Jefferson Shank, genius idea of brightening the image! I hadn't thought to do that. I lean towards goldeneye over eider because I can't get past the slope of the forehead and shape of the bill. It's a strange combination of ducks of ducks to be deciding between. But I had already seen both species in the general area today, so I can deal with it. I was sort of hoping someone would suggest shelduck! Thanks again, Brett