okaugust

LOL Yeah, I almost didn't want it to be a Purple Finch. When I see one for the first time, I want to be able to say, "Now THAT'S a Purple Finch!"

Whew, thanks!

Taken today, August 6, Lynn Point Road, Nemah, WA (it's a random hotspot). Purple will be a new bird for me, having just moved here, but it doesn't strike me as a House due to the facial markings. Granted the light isn't very friendly here, and as much as I would love my first Purple Finch to actually be....well...purple, I figured I wanted to at least get it IDd correctly even if it isn't a male with nice coloring. Thank you!

Thanks everyone!

Fort Stevens State Park - Parking area D, August 1, 2021. I initially pegged as a Whimbrel because in the photo the bill looks like it's got a curve to it, but it was flagged on eBird, so assuming that is incorrect now. There have been Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitcher out there, but only a single Short-billed, and that would be a life bird for me. Because I haven't ever seen the short, I'm hesitant to call it. Or is it something completely different I'm missing? I was having a moment where I spotted an American Avocet, which is rare for this area, but as I just moved from Wyoming, I keep having a bit of a chuckle that birds I know as common aren't here. A gal walked along and scattered all of the birds, before coming back and asking me where the ocean was....so these are the only two shots I got of it. Thank you!

Thank you!

Today I moved from WY to OR, and my first question is: does anyone recommend a gull book, though I did manage to get lifer today in the much easier to recognize Heerman's Gulls. Second is does anyone recommend a good peep book? By Audubon board gifted me with an Amazon gift card for my bon voyage present, and I'm thinking some bird books are in order. I was at Ft Stevens State Park - Parking Area D - when the tide was going out and some nice plovers showed up, followed by a lot of little sandpipers that I've taken a stab at identifying, but I would like to confirm on some. There are three others that I'm down to "I don't know and I start a new job at 8:00 am and I'm wiped out from driving from WY yesterday...." so help is appreciated. ? Thank you! Western Sandpiper for both A and B A B C & D Sanderling C D E Least on the left, Semipalmated on the right F Least G Unknown H Unknown (Semipalmated?)

Thanks everyone!

Thanks everyone! This is only the second time I've seen White-rumped, so pretty exciting! The help and field marks are much appreciated!

For me, at this point, all it does it help rule out a couple of others. ?

May 29th, Bowdoin NWR in north Montana (If you have never been there and can, GO!) I'm trying to get better at sandpiper ID, but I still get it wrong half the time anyway. Any tips for what you are using to ID is hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance! 1. There are some medium sized and a couple of smaller, in addition to the Wilson's Phalarope 2. Wilson's Phalarope and..... 3. This one is really intriguing me. I thought a singular Long-billed Dowitcher at the distance I was seeing it from, based on size - bigger than Phalaropes, smaller than the Godwits - they do get Short-billed here too, which would be a lifer for me, but the orange coloring on the face is a puzzler for me. Suggested: Stilt Sandpiper 4. 5. I've had a suggestion of Sanderling 6 7

From the James Kipp Rec Area in central MT today, I could hear Western Wood-pewee and Least, but this one was doing a "WIT" call and hearing all three calls and seeing what looks like 3-4 species really made me doubt even worse than usual my flycatcher ID skills. Help is appreciated. 1. 2. 3. 4. This one I think was the Western Wood-Pewee, which I'm usually very clear on This one is a grassland bird from south of Malta MT. At a glance I thought it was a Vesper Sparrow. From the side it looks like it has the light russet on the shoulders, but the super dark bill is throwing me off. 5.

Thank you! TBH the feathers were throwing me off a bit because I just could not find any sketches or photos of any of the cormorants with that amount of feathered finery. The sun came out this afternoon, though the wind was wicked cold, I managed to get a few more shots. They seem to be roosting the same spot. It's still a long shot even with my pretty decent camera, but I was happy to get some of the blue gular coloring too. I've gotten was here over a decade ago, before I started birding, so as typical it was a big regret to have been in such a bird rich place without actually seeing birds. LOL. I've gotten 9 life birds in 48 hours, 52 species, and my life bird count is at 499, so I'm anxious to see what bird ends up as 500! Pacific Wrens and Golden-crowned Sparrows are listed at almost every place we've been, but I've not seen or heard any.

Thanks Tony!

Thank you! I think I can just see the light coloring on the neck of the first one, which is one reason I was leaning toward Brandt's. Much appreciated to both of you. I'm hoping for some better light in the next couple of days to get better shots and looks. Now if I could just figure out all of the gulls.....? though that's going to take way more work and time.

Greetings from the great Pac Northwet! Reports of Brandt's Cormorants, and maybe I've spied them, but none are showing the gular coloring at all, and at great distance it is hard to discern. Brandt's would be a new bird for me, so I'd like to check to confirm with others who know better. ? Taken in the last 24 hours in locations as indicated. First photo is in Astoria under the Megler Bridge. I'm leaning toward Brandt's. Second is from the Hammond Marina. Pelagic? Thank you!

Thanks!

I found this solo Dowitcher north of Sheridan, WY tonight. It was alone on a small farm pond with Mallards and Green-winged Teal. Usually I see dowitchers in at least a small flock, and it SHOULD be a Long-billed, and may very well be. Maybe wishful thinking on my part, but it seems to be missing the hunch in the back and the bill seemed shorter. It does have the larger round belly that is supposed to be a trait of the Long-billed, but looking at photos of both and allaboutbirds I see varying levels of belly roundness or skinniness on both. Basically for every one I see that should be one or the other, the next one looks like...the other. Anyway, all I know is I I see Long-billed because that's what I'm supposed to see, but if this is a Short-billed, I'll never tell the difference and someone with more experience might. Thank you in advance...

Great, thanks fellas! Much appreciated!

I am posting this for a friend, who asked for some ID help. I'll detail my diagnosis below, but would love other opinions. This was taken September 26th, on Clear Creek Trail in Buffalo, WY. This area of the trail area is some pine, mostly brush, aspen, and sometimes creek side. The four Western under tail matches where the body is yellow and the tail is more of a solid dark are Wilson's, MacGillivray's, Common Yellowthroat and Orange-crowned. Looking at the Eastern options, the tails are too short on that end to apply here. (But don't completely discount me on this, it could happen.) The Blackpoll and Townsend's tails look a lot like the Yellow-rumped, which has the black on the tail looks like black spots almost on the outer tail. Another candidate based on what I've seen there, the American Redstart, while the tail is a match, the belly is not, and I think they've all left already. So I don't think any of those. I'd leave out the Yellowthroat because it's not bulky enough, and wouldn't typically be high up in a tree. Should be in a marsh. MacGillivray's, while I have seen them here, I would expect to be more in the undergrowth and not up in the tree tops. What looks like darker coloring around the neck makes me wonder about this diagnosis though. Now Wilson's, the coloring is a deeper yellow and seems more accurate, but they often seem smaller than this, and the darker coloring around the throat and head are throwing me off. Orange-crowned...they come in a range of colors it seems, slight variations that can make ID tricky, but they seem lighter on the front than this bird. They do have more of a spiky bill, which this bird seems to have. Given the size.... It's a toss up for me between the last two and I'd lean to OCWA...again what almost looks like a darker hood of some sort is giving me pause for the MacGillivary's. Would love other opinions! Thank you! Photo - Joanne Puckett

Thank you Tony!

Thank you!!!

Camped overnight at a spring in the middle of the sagebrush sea, and could use an ID confirm on some birds we found in this little migrant trap. For reference, this is Bush Springs in Wyoming, and it is located here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/42°06'45.6"N+108°49'46.1"W/@42.1126772,-108.8294622,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d42.1126772!4d-108.8294622 First the sparrow, which I IDd at the time as a Chipping Sparrow. It was foraging along the ground in a space between willows and sage. However, I had just heard a towhee call prior to this, so I was considering it might be a juvenile. Not seeing much that would define it either way for me. I only got one clear shot before I lost it in the brush. Flycatcher 1: Not too long before this, I'd seen a Gray Flycatcher, bobbing its tail which was a helpful ID considering none of them were vocalizing. This might be another Gray, but the tail and bird seemed longer, so I thought it might be worth another look. Flycatcher 2: Looks spot on for a Hammond's, but I don't trust myself. Also looks like a Least... Flycatcher 3: At first I though the same bird as the #2 bird, but it seems like the definition of white on the wings is less so, with more olive coloring. It could be light though, as they were taken at dusk and morning. But I'd still probably go with Hammond's. Flycatcher #4 - this one zipped up to the tree branch and then was gone. It wasn't keeping to the lower branches of small trees like the others above. Longer, more upright, and just can barely see the eye ring, but again this was the only shot I got before it flew away. I'd probably go with Willow here with the light wing bars and eye ring, and yellow coloring, which I sometimes see out here. The highlight was finding a Cassin's Vireo out there, so it's an interesting place and possible migrant stop over, but it's really in the middle of nowhere, which is how I like it, but not easy to get to from where I live. Thanks in advance for any help, flycatchers, always exciting to find, frustrating to ID. Thank you!

Tony, any suggestions for that the very first photo is? Thank you,

Thank you for the continuing dialog, looking forward to further responses.