Mark F

I saw this fella two days ago. Thanks for your help!

Thanks!

Thank you very much, Creeker!

That's my guess -- winter plumage. Thanks for your insights (and apologies for a lot of requests today). Black-bellied Plover by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

That’s both helpful and educational. Thank you all!

It's got yellow legs, but doesn't look much like a Greater or Lesser Yellow Leg. Photographed today on SF Bay, Cal. Thanks for your help. Shore Bird by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

OK, thank you both very much for giving this some thought. I'll leave it as Savannah Sparrow, plain and simple. Thanks again.

Could this (immediately below) be the Belding's form of Savannah Sparrow? It looks different from the Savannah Sparrow that forum members identified for me yesterday (bottom image). The Belding's form apparently frequents salt-water marshes in California, which would fit the location (Eden Landing Salt Marsh Reserve in the Bay area). Sparrow by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Savannah Sparrow by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Wonderful. Thank you both!

Ah that’s great. Thank you!

This looks like the Pipit I saw on the same day, but....not really. Thanks for your help. Pipit by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

That's a lifer. Thank you so much!

I'm pretty sure this is a Yellow Legs, but stumped as to whether it may be Greater or Lesser. Seen on the weekend at Eden Landing Salt Marsh Reserve in Hayward, Cal, on SF Bay. Thanks in advance for your kind help. Yellow Legs by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Oh! I'd never heard of this. I see it's quite a problem. Thanks for letting me know. I wonder if I should inform the park authorities. But the carcasses are so widespread, they must be aware. Below is a slightly grizzly photo of what I think was a Great Blue Heron. Remains by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Another photographer pointed us to this Snowy Egret yesterday. It did not close its beak the whole time either of us observed it. The photograph below shows something which may be its tongue spanning the upper and lower halves of the beak from within. We have tons of Snowy Egrets around here, and I've never seen one in this posture. I'm wondering if it's sick. I'm also wondering if this could have something to do with the enormous (to me) number of bird carcasses we saw as we walked the trails through this same area -- the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve in Hayward, California (on SF Bay). Without trying, we saw 8 to 12 carcasses, one of which was almost certainly a Great Blue Heron. Just wondering what people make of this. Egret Distressed 3 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Thank you so much!

Hey all, Is this an American Pipet. Yesterday in Northern California (SF Bay area). Thanks! American Pipit by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Many thanks!

Thanks!

Seen today at the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve in the SF Bay area (Hayward). Thanks! Raptor by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Anna's Hummingbird, yesterday in Alameda, CA. Anna's Hummingbird 6 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Wonderful! Thank you, you're great!

Seen today in Alameda, near San Francisco Bay. I've had Nuttall's Woodpeckers come by our suet feeder, but this is not a Nuttall's. My guess is a female Downy. Thanks in advance for your comments. Downy Woodpecker female by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Downy Woodpecker female 2 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Thanks again for all your help! Much appreciated.

We saw a couple of these yesterday in the Pescadero Marsh Preserve just south of San Francisco. Thanks! Bird 3 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Bird 2 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr