okaugust

Noted 🙂

Not seeing the heavy streaking on the breast, but it is probably just the angle. Thanks for looking and the feedback. 🙂

Warrenton Sewage Treatment Ponds, Warrenton, OR around 6:00 pm Friday 8/25/2023 The tides come up and the birds that are feeding on the mudflats along the Columbia come into the ponds to feed and roost a bit. Most common birds are Western Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper, but new migrating arrivals coming south are showing up as well, including an obvious Pectoral Sandpiper and yesterday a Stilt Sandpiper. I haven't gotten out to pick the Stilt yet (hopefully) but did get some nice looks and photos of the Pectoral. This bird was out with the Pectoral, and given the yellow/orange cast to the bill and legs first thought was a second Pectoral for both me and another birder that came out after, but now it's giving us both a bit of consternation as it doesn't look straight up like a Pectoral. His commentary: ...if it's not a Pectoral Sandpiper, and not a Least or Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Least Sandpiper being the most likely obviously), its a Long-toed Stint...and that would be a mega rare! Hmm, not a Long-toed Stint, as they don't show long primary projection... The bird caught my attention for its size. In the waning light I thought it was a Baird's at first, then with the nearby Pectoral, close in side, not nearly as tiny as the usual least, and with more color to the bill than the usual Least. So... This one might be the Pectoral, I got them muddled up at that point both in view and crossing each other. Thanks!!!

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback. The pattern is what pushed me in the direction of Sabine's as well. The other birder with me got good looks through bins, and she was the one who noted the bird based on differences from the rest, so a lot is going into the report as well. On another note, yesterday I went back out to the beach/river side of the jetty, spending almost 5 hours in the area mostly watching the gull and tern flock near the jetty hoping it might still be around and come in again. It did not, but a lifer Arctic Tern came in and landed about 20 ft away from me, so I got that going for me, which is nice. Thanks again, I do appreciate the comments and guidance!

Thanks for looking anyway. 🙂

Today August 20, 2023 Ft Stevens State Park, OR South Jetty, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Columbia River. We were just doing some jetty and sea watching when a nice new birder I met yesterday noted a gull coming in at us over the jetty (from water to land). It came in along the jetty then veered off to the north of the jetty. It was coming right at us and in pretty poor distance and bright light, so...lousy photos. Unfortunately the jetty has been under construction for the last couple of years and won't be done for a couple more, and the bird diverted to an area that is either a 2 mile walk or drive I don't like to do on the sand (lots of Snowy Plovers and places to get stuck), because access to the jetty is currently cut off just beyond the parking area, so no way to really chase it, though I'm planning to go out tomorrow to see if it is still around. This photo has a good look at the black edge of the tail at least. And this one the wing coloration. Her first thought was Sabine's, and our eBird reviewer met up with us just a minute or two after the bird had gone out of site, and Black-legged Kittiwake was another theory. I think there is too much dark color at the end of the wings for Bonaparte's. I've only ever seen Sabine's once, in Wyoming, and never open winged for either really at good range, so thought I would see what other's think. Maybe can't be determined, but either way worth a shot. Sabine's would be a nice find here. Thanks!!!

All birds are good birds another birder once told me, lol, but yes, it's a pretty good one too! It's not a lifer or a state bird, but having moved from the Mountain West to the PacNW, everything I used to see more often is rare, and vice versa, it feels like, so it's like seeing an old friend. 🙂 If you look at range maps, they aren't supposed to be here, generally, but funny enough I did trip over one in late July in the area two years ago too. So it must be a migration thing. At least 2-3 have popped up and different places along the coast here in the last few days. Thanks all, as usual, excellent help!

Thanks! Yah, I had an old iPod in gray face for years longer than anyone else in the world :laugh: I can't justify spending the money on a phone I don't like to use much anyway. Yes, in the original eBird report I said song is at around 2:38 exactly, and I heard it just prior to that as well, but that didn't matter it seemed, and I even apologized for the extra time around it. I actually had met to turn it off right after that but didn't by accident, hence the extra time and noise. I appreciate both the clip and the seconding of the calls. 🙂

July 1, 2023 Trout Creek Hillside south of Sisters, OR, about 3000' elevation, we were at a spot along the dirt road where one just passes a pine/deciduous are into a more open hillside, and the creek runs out of the woods along the road. The scrub is still pretty dense, so it can be hard to get down to or see along the creek itself. I thought I was hearing Yellow Warblers, the sweet sweet sweet little more sweet, but the song sounded not exact. Merlin said Northern Waterthrush. Northern Waterthrush are reported at various points around the mountain areas there, but are still rare. The habitat should be fairly likely for them, and I'm not the only person reporting one in the vicinity. However, I'm on an iPhone 6E and the audio recording is really not all that great, plus I let it run too long, with too much rustling and crunching of gravel and talking. I got a snarky email from the eBird reviewer to not trust Merlin (I don't, unless I can verify with either my own ears or eyes, which in this case I did hear the bird) and he can't hear anything on the recording at all, not a Yellow Warbler and much less a Northern Waterthrush. (That's a near quote). I don't think he even tried to hear it, to be honest, because if I am on a lap top and listening to the audio on an external speaker, I can hear the bird song right where Merlin says it is, around 2:15 seconds to about 2:50 seconds. Soooo...while I generally trust other, more experienced, birders who tell me I may be incorrect about something I see or hear, I'd probably let it go, but one who really treated me like I was some idiot newb he couldn't be bothered with, I've decided I'd like to at least give my audio a pass at a revision and nicer people. You all did a great job with helping me with an audio of possible Mountain Quail a few months back, that I ended up passing on the reporting, because even with enhancement it really wasn't obvious. I downloaded audacity, tried to use it, but it seems to be over my IT skill level. It looks simple enough, but all of my clicking around doesn't do what I want it to do. I'm wondering if anyone might be game to give it a listen and/or pull a clip out the time range of around 2:15 - 2:50, amplify the volume, and save it back? I'm attaching the file and including the google link, because I know other folks had issue with the google link before. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F0rxP1zRsmXi9KFLE6pLXp4pWu2zLB35/view?usp=sharing Ya'll are the best, even for considering. Cheers! 2023 07 01 Northern Waterthrush Trout Creek Hillside Sisters OR.wav

Welcoming back our returning northern breeding peeps to the Oregon coast, oh joy for those not in breeding plumage. Just when I think I know what they are all, the self doubt rears itself. Nehalem Bay State Park, OR 7/29/2023 Like suspects are Western and Least, which I think I've got nailed down. Possible Semipalmated Sandpiper in the mix is causing me to question everything. 1. Slight rusty coloring on the wing, but no chevrons, black legs, longer bill, a little droopy...Western? 2. slightly smaller bird, yellowish legs, shorter, stubbier bill, no drop, Least? 3./4. same bird, no good shots really, first is blurry and second the head is turned. But thinking Western...

Thanks both of you!

My first thought and still thinking this is a Yellow-rumped Warbler, but the almost complete lack of coloring and markings, particularly lacking on the tail, along with not enough coffee and 8 days of travel has me questioning that. Habitat is near a small creek in a very hot, dry, pine forest, and two of these were flitting about lower in the scrub and grasses about 20-30 yards away from the creek area. Female Common Yellowthroat came to mind, but even with the proximity to the creek it seemed out of its element. I was too, to some extent. Thanks in advance!

Thank you!

July 2nd, 2023 taken in the sage brush area along highway 205 from Burns, OR to Malheur NWR. The facial markings got me at first, thinking it was a Prairie Falcon, but the lack of leggings and shape are more buteo. There is almost a belly band, almost a bib, so Red-tailed or Swainson's...not Ferruginous, though I've seen all four birds within about a 5 mile vicinity of this fellow. I'm leaning toward Swainson's as there isn't really a v back pattern and bib markings. Thank you!

Thank you!

Recent reality check on eBird for this group of peeps. August 1, 2020 at Bowdoin NWR in Montana. I have the lighter, slightly larger birds down as Baird's and the slightly smaller, rotund brown one as a Western, but the Western got flagged. I can't quite dial in what it might be from the image, and it might not be identifiable after all, but I gave it a shot and appreciate any other suggestions. Many thanks!

Whew, thanks so much! I'm glad it was what I hoped it was. 🙂

In 2017 I was lucky enough to spend about 5 1/2 weeks in India for work, and got a fair amount of birding in. I did the best I could to ID what I found and had a local group there for some help, but from time to time my sightings get flipped to unconfirmed on eBird, and I have to go back to the drawing board. I've had a handful of species change names, for instance. I thought these were Kentish Plover and stood as such for six years now, but a little research seems to turn up that in April of this year the Kentish Plover was split back to Hanuman Plover, something that was merged decades ago. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/hanuman-plover-bird-reinstated-as-species-after-86-years-study-3961689 So I go into eBird, delete the species from the list then go to add it, thinking it's the only logical alternative, and find the only plover available to select is Little Ringed Plover, and to me this doesn't look like a Little Ringed, even in non-breeding plumage. The older have the yellow eye ring, and the younger seem to have more yellowish/orange legs. Hanuman isn't even an option to add as a rare bird. So I defaulted back to Kentish for now, which is rare supposedly and would've cleared that check years ago, and it's possible I got help with the ID at the time from local birders. I really wasn't there long enough and it's been long enough ago that I don't have a grasp on possible options here. Any help is greatly appreciated. May 12, 2017 Himayat Sagar Lake Ranga Reddy County Telangana

Thank you!

Malhuer NWR - HQ - 5/13/2023 I did spot what I'm 100% sure is a Black-chinned, reported by others, and that's what I think 2. is, but I could not for the life of me seem to get them in the right light to get the gorget color to confirm the others. #2 has the bill and body of the Black-chinned, but the rest aren't quite so clear. I know my home hummers pretty well, but getting out of my element a bit here on location so not so confident. Thank you! 1. 2. 3. 4.

Thanks much!

Doing some traveling back to my former home area of Sheridan/Johnson County, WY. Our Audubon chapter there did a book launch for a children's bird book one of our board members wrote with my photos in it, which was exciting, but what I was most thrilled to do was see some friends and go birding at my old haunts, so vastly different from the Pac NW. Greater-sage grouse, lek, grassland/sage area IBA we set up, the monthly bird walk spot, all incredible still. I was on my way south now in CO for my daughter's master's grad from CU this week (I know, that's a lot of detail you don't need but hey, it's working up to be a great week lol) and just leaving the IBA, took a side road out of in the grassland area working southeast of Buffalo, WY and ambling down a dirt road in the RAV when this hawk flushed from a culvert. My immediate thought was it was a harrier, because the over tail markings were dark edge, white band, dark top, but then it perched and my exhausted eyes (18 hour drive from the coast Friday) realized it was a buteo, I chalked it up to a Red-tailed Hawk as that's default, and kept going, but the more I look at it and the more I think about the tail band, I wonder if it might be a Broad-winged. They were not common but did pop up during migration when I lived there. However I've only ever seen them 2-3 times, so not all that familiar. Thank you!

I staked out there too for a couple of hours yesterday, both in the little bay area then walking to the jetty and back. One was spotted there the day before, but even though I had dowitchers practically walking around me all over as the tide went out, no luck on a Red Knot in the mix. I love any excuse to keep looking though, lol, and it's a great spot.

Thanks! Wishful thinking on my part. 🙂 The quest continues!

April 28th, 2023 Wireless Rd - which is this wacky little farm road just south of Astoria, OR that is along Youngs Bay where they sometimes spread fish guts on the grassland (though haven't this year), and the potholes of water and grazed pasture attract a fantastic assortment of birds. Red Knot has been reported here 2-3 days this last week. I've been out 3 times hoping to spot it without luck. There are a lot of dowitchers right now, primarily Short-billed, about half of which are showing good breeding plumage with coloring similar to the Red Knot. I've been ruling out most of what I see based on bill length and lighter coloring along the sides of the head. Unfortunately this one has its bill sunk deep into the mud. It's the only shot I have of this particular bird. About the time I have myself convinced it a Red Knot, I change my mind and decide it's a Dowitcher. Then repeat that in reverse. Both of the birds are newer to my purview in the last year, with Red Knots more so, and I'm just not that familiar with either to rule them out I suppose. Thank you in advance! Note: I haven't adjusted the color on either of these, just one cropped and the other original. There is another bird right behind it that is likely a dowitcher, which should be enough to tell me this is probably one as well. The recent reports don't have photos accompanying.