Dan P

Charlie, I cropped it down to just the bird, and here is what Merlin thinks now: Baird's Sandpiper Red-necked Stint Semipalmated Sandpiper Little Stint

So I have a couple of questions about Merlin. When Merlin returns more than one possibility, are they ranked in order most likely to least likely according to Merlin's algorithms? In the case of the above photo of the single bird, is this photo not good enough for Merlin to ID it more precisely? Thanks.

Taken on 11-4-2021 in the late afternoon at Hansen Dam Debris Basin in Lakeview Terrace (Los Angeles) CA. This one sandpiper was hanging out with a couple of dowitchers. I thought it was a Least Sandpiper. I decided to see what Merlin had to say about the photo of the single bird. It gave the following suggestions in order: Semipalmated Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper What do you all think?

Aidan, your BIF photos are really fantastic. I think you said that you got a new camera in the past year. What camera and lens are you using?

Taken on 10-19-2021 at Bette Davis Picnic Area in Glendale, CA. What do you say?

Thanks everyone.

Taken on 10-19-2021 at Bette Davis Picnic Area in Glendale, CA. I have only seen American Goldfinches a couple of times and I'm not very good at identifying them. I know the lighting and colors are not so good in this photo, but does this look like an American or a Lesser?

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Taken in the evening of 9-27-2021 at Silverlake Reservoir in Los Angeles, CA. I'm having trouble with this sparrow.

That's a very good chart. Thanks.

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.

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?

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?

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?

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.

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

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

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?

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