lonestranger

Confused says, some lessons cannot be taught, other lessons cannot be learned. I think luck falls into both categories.

BRDL 667 🥚🥚🥚🥚 🥚🥚🥚🥚 🪶🥚🥚🐦 🥚🥚🐦🐦 🐦🐦🐦🐦

Well, I broke down last night and stumbled through my first ever checklist for eBird. I must have done something right because I got an email almost instantly congratulating me on the first regional sighting. I'm not sure what happens next but I guess the sighting is now official, or at least in the queue to becoming official.

birdie 🦆 #550: 🟨🟨🟩⬛⬛⬛ https://birdiegame.net/

Thanks for the offer but I let the rarities come to me instead of chasing them.

BRDL 666 🐦🥚🥚🥚 🐦🥚🥚🪶 🐦🐦🥚🥚 🐦🐦🐦🥚 🐦🐦🐦🐦

birdie 🦢 #549: 🟥🟥🟥🟨🟩⬛ https://birdiegame.net/

Did I say "species"? I meant to say 156 weeks. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 😀

🥳🎉🎊🥳 It was three years ago yesterday since this thread was first started. For those that are wondering, that works out to 156 species so far, approximately. 🥳🎉🎊🥳 I have no bird to share so this is my contribution this week.

The birds, the ID, or the traffic light colours? 🤔

Forgive the extra photo but yesterday's best is better with some backstory.

I'll be the second to admit to being confused. Pretty sure it's connected to the actor and not the sound track from Easy Rider though, but I could be wrong.

BRDL 665 🥚🪶🥚🥚 🥚🥚🥚🐦 🥚🥚🥚🐦 🥚🥚🥚🐦 🥚🐦🐦🐦 🐦🐦🐦🐦

birdie 🦃 #548: 🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟩 https://birdiegame.net/

I know they are variable, but I don't see the dark patagial markings I associate with Red-tailed Hawks. In fact, the patagial markings look lighter than the surrounding area to my eyes. Do they vary that much?

I agree that the room for error makes them far from conclusive, but they are features of the birds and can be useful in working through an ID.

I apologize, it seems that I didn't understand the measurements and ratios being referenced. @Ruslan Balagansky, The unknown distance between the two birds would make gauging size impossible from a photo, every inch in distance between the two birds would alter the ratio when comparing two birds in flight.

My Stokes field guide uses measurements and ratios to describe many features of a bird. Bill length to head length is a measurements/ratio used to help identify many birds. Wing width to wing length ratios help identify many birds in flight. Tail length compared to wing width is another measurement that Stokes uses to describe birds in flight. They also use chest to legs and leg to wing-tip comparison ratios for leg position on shore birds. I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss the usefulness of measurements and ratios.

BRDL 664 🥚🥚🥚🐦 🥚🥚🥚🐦 🥚🥚🥚🐦 🐦🐦🐦🐦

birdie 🦅 #547: 🟥🟥🟥🟩⬛⬛ https://birdiegame.net/

You could also try posting your Mexican sightings in the North America ID forum to get more eyes on them. You may not get any more suggestions than here, but they will be seen by a lot more people. I am pretty sure Mexico has already been declared welcome in the NA forum so you may want to take advantage of the more popular forum.

BRDL 663 🥚🥚🥚🥚 🥚🐦🥚🪶 🐦🐦🥚🐦 🐦🐦🐦🐦

birdie 🦆 #546: 🟥🟥🟥🟥🟩⬛ https://birdiegame.net/

I don't know how late the stragglers linger, but Baltimore Orioles are typically early migrators, leaving my area mid to late August. I don't recall ever seeing them in September and I suspect that a November sighting might be just as rare as a Bullocks sighting.

Speaking of old folks, be gentle with my brainfart @Charlie Spencer.