cam

Hi All, I saw this bird in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was repeatedly diving under water and would surface with a muddy bill. My first thought was that it was a canvas back but I don't think I've seen a canvasback dive like this one did and it also sits much lower in the water than a canvasback. Can anyone identify it for me? There must have been about 10 of them. Thanks! Chris

Thanks for the ID, AB and TBN! Chris

I'm thinking this might be a Tennessee warbler, which would be rare in California, but I can't find another bird with the two white bars on the wings and the thin white stripe on the leading edge of the wings. What say you? Thank you in advance for your help in identifying this little bird!

Ack... I looked some more in my field guide and saw that it's likely a molting juvenile starling. I don't think I've ever seen/noticed one before.

Hi! I saw the bird in the foreground of this picture (the one with the speckled breast) this afternoon in the Palo Alto Bay Lands. I'm completely stumped by what it might be. I thought at first it might be a juvenile grackle of some sort but it doesn't look like any photos or pictures I found in my field guides. Can anyone help identify it for me? Thanks! Chris

Thanks, Bird Nuts and Sneat! Best, Chris

Hi! I think this might be a Savannah sparrow but it looks like the supercilium (?) is too yellow. Perhaps I just don't appreciate how much variation there is based on what I see in my Peterson and Sibley field guides. Confirmation or correction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much! Chris

Thank you both for your identifications! Best, Chris

I saw this very small hawk in the Palo Alto, CA. It was hunting close to the ground and looked like it had relatively narrow swept back wings. I thought it might be a sharp shinned hawk but I read that those have relatively broad wings. Any help in identifying the bird would be most appreciated! Thanks! Chris

I saw this sparrow in the Palo Alto Baylands in CA. My best guess is that it might be a Chipping Sparrow. Is that correct? Thanks in advance for your help! Chris

Thanks everyone for the explanation of what I saw! I never occurred to me that domesticated birds escape and do well living in the wild. I guess it would be a little surprising if they didn't though. Best, Chris

Hi - I'm new to birding and was hoping to get some help in identifying these two ducks. Both photos were taken today in the Palo Alto Bay Lands, about 35 miles south of San Francisco on San Francisco Bay. Any suggestion as to what they might be would be very much appreciated. Thanks! Chris