[Your best photo of a bird species.]

This is the only one I've ever seen...

 

[Myrtle or Audubon's]

That's great.  It's the first one I've seen.  Thanks.

[Myrtle or Audubon's]

Taken on 10-17-2021 at a residential home in Glendale, CA.

There were some Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warblers around, and I know an immature female Audubon's can look like a Mrytle.

Can this bird be identified as to whether its a Mrytle or Audubon's?

Thanks.

[? Sparrow]

Taken in the late afternoon on 10-15-2021 at Crescenta Valley Regional Park, La Crescenta, CA (Los Angeles County).

I think this is a Savannah Sparrow, but I'm not certain.  All photos are the same bird.

[? Thrush]

Taken in the late afternoon on 10-15-2021 at Crescenta Valley Regional Park, La Crescenta, CA (Los Angeles County).

The first two photos in the grass are the same bird.  The third photo in the thicket may or may not be the same bird as the one in the grass.

I believe these photos are of a Hermit Thrush, but I can't rule out Swainson's.

[What Sparrow]

51 minutes ago, Connor Cochrane said:

Brewers. A pretty decent bird for the location I believe. 

eBird let me add it to my checklist without showing Rarities, so I guess it's in range.

Thanks all.

[What Sparrow]

Taken in the evening of 9-27-2021 at Silverlake Reservoir in Los Angeles, CA.

I'm having trouble with this sparrow.

[? Finch]

30 minutes ago, meghann said:

This is a great explanation: https://feederwatch.org/learn/tricky-bird-ids/purple-finch-house-finch-and-cassins-finch/

That's a very good chart.  Thanks.

[? Finch]

Taken in the morning on 10-9-2021 at Lower Scholl Canyon Park in Glendale, CA.

When I first looked at these photos, I thought this bird looked different than most House Finches that I've seen.  But the more I look at it, the more it looks like a House Finch.

I've never seen a Purple Finch or Cassin's Finch or Rosy Finch before (that I know of), so I wanted to make sure.

[? Duck]

Taken on 10-9-2021 on the Los Angeles River at Glendale Narrows Riverwalk in Glendale, CA.

I believe this is a teal.  Can it be identified?

[Leucistic Sandpiper ?]

Taken on 10-9-2021 on the Los Angeles River at Glendale Narrows Riverwalk in Glendale, CA.

Is the bird with the mostly white head a leucistic Least Sandpiper?

[Pintail ??]

Taken on 10-3-2021 on the Los Angeles River at Willow Street, Long Beach, CA -- 3 miles upstream from Long Beach Harbor.

Would this be a Northern Pintail?

[Dowitchers]

1 hour ago, AlexHenry said:

Just use vocalizations, don't even try to identify them based on how they look (at least until you are much more familiar with them, or if they are juveniles or fresh breeding plumage adults)

I didn't know that the vocalizations were important in identifying them.  Next time I will be prepared.

I saw my first Dowitcher a few weeks ago on 9/21 in San Diego County (a single bird).

On this recent excursion on 10/3, there were about 90 of them in a single group in the shallow water.  A few times I caught smaller groups of them in-flight -- probably some of the same ones that were in that group of 90 in the water.

A person that submitted a checklist from that same location for the morning of the previous day reported 220 Long-billed Dowitchers and no Short-billed Dowitchers.  I know that doesn't mean much.  

I'm going to report one Long-billed (the one flying that Seanbirds ID'd), and 90 Long-billed/Short-billed.

Thanks all.

[Dowitchers]

3 hours ago, DLecy said:

...Thus, only birds on the extreme ends of either spectrum can be identified with confidence…

Would the bill on this bird be considered at the extreme end of the spectrum?

[Dowitchers]

So, nothing in the patterns on either of the birds pictured above is helpful in identifying them?

[Dowitchers]

Taken on 10-3-2021 on the Los Angeles River at Willow Street, Long Beach, CA -- 3 miles upstream from Long Beach Harbor.

Can either of these Dowitchers be identified?

And I have a question about Dowitcher bill length.  Does the length of the bill vary noticeably for both species.  I.e., does the bill length of a Long-billed Dowitcher vary significantly from one bird to another?   And, does the bill length of a Short-billed Dowitcher vary significantly from one bird to another?  If so, does a Long-billed Dowitcher with a shorter bill have about the same length of bill as a Short-billed Dowitcher with a longer bill?

[What kind of Gull ?]

Taken on 10-3-2021 on the Los Angeles River at Willow Street, Long Beach, CA -- 3 miles upstream from Long Beach Harbor.

 

[Shoveler ?]

Taken on 10-3-2021 on the Los Angeles River at Willow Street, Long Beach, CA -- 3 miles upstream from Long Beach Harbor.

There were bunches of Cinnamon Teals and Blue-winged Teals, but I have this one bird (just two frames) that looks to me like a Northern Shoveler.

 

[Least Sandpipers ?]

Taken on 9-15-2021 at the Los Angeles River in Atwater Village, CA.

There were about 50 of these small sandpipers that all seemed to be about the same size.  All of those that I could clearly see the legs had yellowish legs. 

They landed in the shallow water, then after a while all flew around, then landed back in the water.  I believe these are Least Sandpipers, but I want to make sure since they don't seem to be in the proper habitat.  Normally they prefer mudflats and the waters edge -- which is where I have seen them in the past in small groups of 3 to 5.  But here the whole large group was wading out in the center of the very shallow river -- maybe for lack of preferred habitat. 

Through this section of about 5 miles of the river, called Glendale Narrows, the river has a concrete embankment on the sides, and a natural bottom with trees and vegetation growing in it -- except for the sections immediately before and after a roadway overpass where the bottom is concrete and runs very shallow with lots of sediment and organic material.  This is where the sandpipers were.

 

[Vireo?]

Taken on 9-15-2021 at the Los Angeles River in Atwater Village, CA

The images were dark and had to be lightened quite a bit.  Not sure if the colors are represented well.

[What is it?]

23 hours ago, Connor Cochrane said:

Looks like Greater Yellowlegs. 

I like this ID -- as opposed to what Merlin suggested.

I started using Merlin this past week.  Those that I was able to easily identify, Merlin was also able to identify.  And those that I wasn't sure about, but had very good profile photos of, Merlin was also able to identify.

But I guess a bird flying away is not so easy for Merlin.  Here is what Merlin suggested.

First photo:

Blue-footed Booby
Brant
Willet
 

Second photo:

Brant
Sabine's Gull
Willet
Blue-footed Booby

[What is it?]

Taken on 9-21-2021 mid-day at San Elijo Lagoon at Cardiff-by-the-Sea (San Diego County, CA).

Help.

[TBN Photo Challenge ​🦅]

3 hours ago, PalmWarbler said:

I have some, but I took them this morning..........

I don't think I've ever gotten a bird "on" a flower.  I'd like to see the shot you got this morning.

[New Coastal Shorebirds]

Taken on 9-21-2021 mid-day at San Elijo Lagoon at Cardiff-by-the-Sea (San Diego County, CA).

This is the first time I have photographed coastal shorebirds, so let's see if I have identified these correctly.

1) Long-billed Curlew

2) Whimbrel

3) Willet (wading)

4) Willet (flying)

5) Marbled Godwit

 

[Ridgeway's Rail ?]

Yesterday 9-21-2021, I went to San Elijo Lagoon at Cardiff-by-the-Sea (San Diego County) and photographed coastal birds for the first time.  So I've got several new birds that I need to identify.

Their signature bird seemed to be the Ridgway's Rail judging from the signs and illustrations.

I think I photographed one, but in all of the photos I've seen of Ridgway's Rail they are always walking on the ground, or standing in mud or very shallow water.  This one was mostly swimming.  I first saw it in the middle of a channel, then it swam over to the bank and proceeded swimming down the shoreline (100 feet or more) looking under the brush.  When it was swimming it would jut its head forward and back.  I think this is a Ridgway's Rail, but I'm not certain.