Mark F

Thanks, akiley!

I think the original photo at the top of this thread is going to disappear as a result of my editing on Flickr. Here it is again. Black-bellied Plover by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Yay! Thank you!

Saw this on the east side of SF Bay during the same outing in which I saw the Black-bellied Plover identified earlier. I'm thinking it's a Whimbrel. Thanks for your thoughts. Whimbrel 2 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Whimbrel by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

I've put this in the wrong sub-forum. I am going to repost in the correct one. Thanks.

Saw this on the east side of SF Bay during the same outing in which I saw the Black-bellied Plover identified earlier. I'm thinking it's a Whimbrel. Thanks for your thoughts. Whimbrel by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Great! Thank you both so much!

By this time last year in our little area on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, it seemed you couldn't throw a stone without hitting an American Coot. They were so plentiful and ubiquitous that I got a little sick of them. Now I regret my past indifference, because I have not seen a single one as yet. Very strange. Any idea as to what might cause a species to abandon an area it was so clearly fond of the year before? Just to note, there are lots of mallards (mostly domestic, I think) and the Canada Geese are back. Also some Snowy Egrets, Black-bellied Plovers (I think), many more Brown Pelicans than last year (it seems), some Long-billed Curlews, Marbled Godwits, etc. We've only lived here a year, so I can't say off the top of my head how last year compared to previous ones. Thanks!

Hi all, Please advise as to whether this is a Black-bellied Plover as opposed to, say, American Golden-Plover. And whether male or female. Photo taken yesterday on San Francisco Bay. Thanks! Mark Black-bellied Plover by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Thank you so much. You guys are great!

Hi all, Saw this little one today in Alameda, California (East Bay). Thanks! Finch-like by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Thanks again, psweet!

Some additional and better photos. Tern 12 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Tern 9 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Tern 10 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Correction: my wife tells me that it was near Skagway, Alaska, not Juneau, that these photos were taken. So that would be a little farther north.

Saw these birds from a cruise ship near Juneau, Alaska on 29 June just past (2018). Any chance that they are Arctic Terns? Tern 3 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Tern 2 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Tern 4 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

From a cruise ship. I managed thirteen lifers on that trip. A better birder would have found many more, I'm sure.

New photos to replace the ones following edit on Flickr. Before the server crash we used to be able to edit our original posts long after posting. That's no longer the case. Black-footed Albatross 3 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Black-footed Albatross 1 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Black-footed Albatross 2 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Thanks, psweet. As I hope I've said before, you're a gold mine.

I'm wondering if this is a Black-footed Albatross, but it has a white rump which doesn't seem right. EDIT: Taken in late June off the coast of southern Alaska/northern BC. Albatross by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Albatross 3 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Albatross 2 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Thanks, psweet!

Ah, OK, good. Thank you!

I saw a few of these birds that seemed to be having a terribly difficult time taking off as they beat their way across the water outside Juneau, Alaska, on June 28. It's been suggested that they might be Pacific or Arctic loons. Any way to tell the difference from these very poor photos? Pacific Loon 2 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Pacific Loon 4 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Pacific Loon 3 by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr Pacific Loon by Mark Featherstone, on Flickr

Thanks!

Thank you, dianed. Funny you should say that. My neighbor was telling me that four years ago we had 3 or 4 times the number of crows we have now in Alameda (or at least our part of Alameda). Gotta wonder if WN has been taking them down.

Beautiful photo, Mike_56! What lens were you using, and how close were you?