smittyone@cox.net

It was seen yesterday morning in a flooded farmer's field in NW Missouri. The only other shorebirds nearby were the ever-present Killdeer. This bird was smaller than the Killdeer, but not as tiny as a Least Sandpiper.

Thanks! This is only the 2nd time I've seen one.

Seen this morning in NW Missouri. What kind of Warbler or Vireo was this? Didn't get a shot of the front. It's belly appeared yellowish.

Seen yesterday in NW Missouri. There were about 3 dozen of them, with no clear stand-outs that would help distinguish male from female/immature. Other than plain-ish looking dabblers, I narrowed them down to possibly Gadwall, Blue-winged Teal, or Green-winged Teal. Because I don't know what non-breeding males of these 3 types look like, I'm left comparing female/immature--which all look the same to me.

I'm certain that this bird, seen in Western Iowa on Monday, is a Common Grackle. I'm also 95% sure it's a male. My question is whether it's an immature male molting into it's adult plumage? Or is it an adult male during it's seasonal/annual molt? Although I do see what I believe to be a fleshy gape, which would indicate an immature bird. The fleshy gape is not yellow, like I'm used to seeing in most immature birds.

I have difficulty distinguishing female Baltimore from female Orchard Orioles. I haven't seen any Baltimore Orioles in a while--not males anyway. What throws me off is how orange one bird is (1st and 2nd pics are the same bird) vs. how yellow the other bird is (3rd and 4th pic are the same bird). Seen yesterday morning within about 5 minutes of each other, in western Iowa, just north of Council Bluffs.

Seen late this afternoon north of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Is this an Eastern Phoebe? Also, is it a juvenile?

Thanks everyone.

Seen late this afternoon at DeSoto NWR, near Missouri Valley, Iowa. Possibly the same bird I posted a few minutes ago. It flew from a higher perch onto this felled tree trunk, then stayed there motionless for nearly a minute. Any idea what this behavior is??

Seen late this afternoon at DeSoto NWR, near Missouri Valley, Iowa. Which Flycatcher is this?

Thanks! That's a new Lifer bird for me today. Yeah!

Saw this guy by himself on a power line in NW Missouri this afternoon. This was along a rural farm road--no nearby bodies of water, that I know of. I haven't seen any shorebirds in a couple of months. And I've NEVER seen any kind of shorebird sit on a powerline before. Weird. My closest guess is a Lesser Yellowlegs. Sorry--side, back, and underneath were the only angles I could get on this guy.

Seen this morning in SE Nebraska. Is this a Warbling Vireo? Who knew they had blue feet?

This bird was seen near a noticeably larger Great Egret, yesterday in NW Missouri. Although I never saw the feet, I think this may be a Snowy Egret. It'd be a Lifer bird for me if it was a Snowy.

Seen today in western Iowa. Is this an immature male Blue Grosbeak molting into adult feathers? I saw an all blue adult male in the area yesterday, so I believe they don't molt into all blue (minus wing bars of course) every year. Can't find any specifics on the subject in my internet search. Would this be called a first summer male?

Seen yesterday in western Iowa. I'm pretty sure these are Dickcissels. But are they females, or immature?

Seen last week in western Iowa. Was this a Savannah Sparrow I saw? The only other Sparrow I saw in the area was a Song Sparrow. Although this does have fairly heavy streaking on the breast, the yellow face patches, and eye ring are leading me toward Savannah.

Of course you two are right. I dunno why I said Indigo Bunting! Tired I guess. Is this male Blue Grosbeak in mid-molt?

Shots taken late Wednesday afternoon in western Iowa. Pics are heavily cropped and brightened (originals were underexposed). I'm pretty sure this was an Indigo Bunting, but is it a female, or a male molting?

Seen today near Missouri Valley, IA. Is this an immature Mourning Dove?

Thank you. I actually found the answer (about the feathers) after posting the question. They only display the orange head feathers during courtship, or when threatened.

Seen today North of Lincoln, NE. I believe this is a Western Kingbird. I'm confused by the orange feathers on the top of it's head. Most of the time it wasn't visible. It was perched in the shade in all of these shots, so the colors may not be true.

Seen today North of Lincoln, NE. I believe this is a Western KIngbird. However, I'm usually wrong and they end up being Great-crested Flycatchers.

Seen today North of Lincoln, NE. I believe this is a young Meadowlark. If it is, is it too early to determine if it's a Western or an Eastern one?

Seen yesterday in NW Missouri.