okaugust

Thank you all, I think Spotted Sandpiper is reasonable, and I also spotted (pun intended) a couple more at another location later in the day with the same wing beats, but wasn't making the connection. Awesome group as always!

LOL Thanks, that's a start. There are a fair amount of shorebirds around but but none at this location that I saw, except a snipe. We have Black-bellied Plover, loads of Dunlin in some pastures but closer to the coastal areas. Greater-yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher here and there. It didn't call, and the yellowlegs usually do when they are on the move it seems. I'm looking at it thinking I know what this is but can't seem to pin it.

Whatever it is, the photo is lousy. Apologies for that. Taken today 12/3/2023 on the Columbia River at the end of Clifton Rd, which is just about to Westport, OR on the south side of the river. There were only a couple of gulls, bulkier, but Short-billed are around right now too and can be almost deceptively small compared to other gulls. When it flew by it looked more like a shore bird of some kind, phalarope sized. Bill seems too long for a gull. Leading edge of the wing is dark as is the back. I cropped it pretty heavy and can't get much more zoom on it. Black and white in color, no changes to the color of the photo. It had more of a shorebird type flight with short, sharp wing beats. It was a gray day most of the day. Any help is appreciated as always. Thank you!

Thanks! 🙂

Awesome thanks! I knew it would be a long shot pun intended, with really not enough shots or good looks at individual birds, but worth another opinion. Cheers!

January 16, 2021, our local Audubon monthly bird walk was on a public hiatus for covid reasons but three of us board members went out to count birds anyway to keep up with several years worth of monthly reporting for the same location. We encountered a fast moving flock of Common Redpoll, and have at least one that seems much lighter. It is a blustery day, poor light and cold temps, which didn't help. My companion had some with the other birds in the brush. Mine are closer up, but I've had to lighten it enough that I don't trust the true color. They were there and gone in a flash, but we got a handful of mostly blurry shots or cut off shots. I posted it to the ABA FB ID group and got two likely Hoary comments, can't remember if I posted it here but don't see a thread started by me about it, but then/now can't remember if my local eBird reviewer shot it down but I did add it to a report, as at some point I dropped it off but the person I was with has not. I figured, well eventually they will merge them in together again and it will all be for naught. Anyway, trip down memory lane today when I helped a friend ID a Snail Kite in GA and tripped over my old ID question. Thought it was worth taking another look. The flock and birds were all moving fast, so I had a couple of shots of the bird that was so light but they may not be the same bird. 1. 2. this shot is the most likely candidate IMHO. 3. Prob not clear enough to be diagnostic. Group shots 4. 5. This one you can see how it caught our eye. The eBird report. https://ebird.org/checklist/S79330927 Anyway, I know this one is a tough to ID bird and don't really expect a different outcome, but I always appreciate your opinions. Cheers!

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!