nevsar

I am yet to figure out the difference between long & short billed dowitcher. What do you think this one is?

A pine warbler sounds very convincing. Thank you!

I actually did consider a yellow-rumped based on the bold, broken eyering. But aren't the wingbars on the yellow-rumped not as distinctive?

Sorry for the lousy photo. Does this look like a blackburnian warbler?

Unfortunately, this was the only accessible angle. So no more photos that reveal more details. And the reason I thought red-shouldered on the field was because of the slimmer look. But researching online says that a red-shouldered usually "shows bands in the secondaries of the folded wing". I don't see them in my photos, and hence my confusion with broad-winged.

Sorry. I forgot to add that detail. Taken in MA this week.

Initially thought red-shouldered, but now leaning towards broad-winged.

Thanks everyone. I agree that the bill looks good for a Western. It's a rare bird for MA though (although somewhat expected at this time of the year).

The adult (yellow bill) and the crouched bird in second photo are definitely least terns. The rest I'm not too sure, although they all seem to be the same size as the least terns (common terns are bigger).

Any further thoughts, folks?

Thanks Connor. I agree it's not a Baird's (I got lazy and typed it in last night just to get the post out). And if it were a Baird's, I would have expected marking on the breast. That said, it didn't seem like a Dunlin either (and I think it's a bill a little too short for it). The bill is probably more a white-rumped sandpiper sized.

Can it be a young Baird's sandpiper?

Hi Tony, I've never used your ID to differentiate between greater & lesser. So thanks for that. I always have used head/beak proportion to differentiate between them. And based on that, I concluded this was a lesser. Here is a photo from 7 seconds before the one I posted: Also thanks for the "dark tips to their outer primaries" ID for the little blue. I'll remember that next time.

Hi Charlie. They definitely did NOT have bright yellow feet (and hence the reason behind the confusion). The feet were almost the same color as rest of the legs. In the first photo (which was a different bird from the birds in the other photos), the feet are not very bright yellow. And the other two birds had even duller feet.

Thanks Pigegon. I think I agree on Common Tern for the 2nd photo. The bill shape & length seems to match the common tern on its right. If I go with "primaries match up with the tail end" logic, then would the first photo also be a common tern? Does that logic hold for non-breeding adults too? W.r.t bill, I think it's thinner & longer (pointing towards roseate) but not sure if I'm making it up. I think the 3rd photo is a young least tern. The shape of eye patch does not seem to match a forster's.

Hi Kevin, Thanks for pointing out that they are all snowy egrets (vs little blue). Could you clarify why they are snowy? Is it because of the yellow lores (behind the beak)? Lack of two-toned billed? A little black on the legs (vs greenish-yellow)? Thanks.

Hi Charlie. The shorebird is most certainly a lesser yellowlegs (based on my other photos - which I did not post).

Not an expert, but looks like a black tern to me.

Hi, I need help with a few terns. Hope they are straightforward. 1) Roseate tern? 2) Young common tern? Or is this another roseate? 3) Young least tern? Or could it be a Forster's tern?

Hi, Can I get your help on these birds? The bill is grayish, and legs are grayish yellow. Not sure if the bill is obviously two-toned. a) b) c) c d) Top two birds

Thank you. Once again, the Goldfinch has tripped me up ?

I'm fairly certain the first bird is a veery. And besides the angle and lighting, both the birds look like the same species ?

It sounds like some warbler to me. If I were to pick one from the knowledge base I have, I would say a Canada warbler (but it's rare for this location at this time of the year). A better probability is a Northern Waterthrush, but it sounds a little too fast for it. Of course, I could be completely off base ? IMG_0491.m4aIMG_0490.m4a

Thank you. Another common bird I see, and whose two sounds I know, but not this song. Hope to remember this next time on the field.

Thanks a lot folks. I don't think I've ever been this confident on a wrong ID ? Appreciate it.