cljones16

Attached photos were taken in early May of this year in eastern Mass. A Merlin?

Photo taken Feb 21 on the Massachusetts shore. I need some help distinguishing between sub-adult Ring-billed or Herring. Thanks.

Thanks for the ID help and the link!

Below are some pictures of scaup taken in Eastern MA near (but not on) the shore on Jan. 19. I could use some confirmation help with the lesser/greater IDs. One picture is a blurry one of most of the flock, but I hope head shape of many of them is still distinguishable. Thanks, in advance, for the help.

Thanks to all of you. I appreciate it.

Hello Whatbirders, The pictures below were taken last month, January 14th, off the coast of Massachusetts near Gloucester. I can tell it's an alcid, but I'm having trouble narrowing it down further. The markings might indicate razorbill, but I just don't see the characteristic bill shape of a razorbill in these photos. The white on its neck does seem to come up behind its eye. Could it be a murre? If so, the bill seems thicker than a Common's would be and there's no white and black streaks on the flanks. But a Thick-billed would not have the white behind it's cheek, correct? Thanks for any help with the ID.

Hello Whatbirders, A gull mystery for everyone... I hope you can help me out. At a pier in Eastern Massachusetts today (Jan 19), I was looking at a Glaucous Gull (see first image, center), when the dark backed gull to the right caught my attention. (As you can see, I then tried to get a few pics of it and zoom in for better ID help, but the resolution isn't great.) The dark gull appears to me to be about the same size or slightly smaller than the Herring gulls to the left of it. It has a rounded breast and a dark smudge around its eye. It's bill does not seem to me as dark and bulky as a Great Black-Backed Gull. Unfortunately, the ledge of the building cuts off all visibility of its legs, so leg color can't help us. The angle isn't so helpful for determining relative primary extension past the tail either. (I waited for a few minutes to see if it would move to a higher perch... no dice.) Is this a Lesser Black-Backed Gull? I'm leaning in that direction but didn't want to talk myself into something. Thanks for the help!

Yep, makes sense. Super helpful. Thanks everyone.

Hello Helpful Whatbird-ers, Going through some photos from last year, I found a few of a raptor I did not definitively ID. These are from April 23 in a state forest in eastern Massachusetts. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks!

I saw this bird at Parker River NWR on the eastern shore of MA yesterday (Oct. 18) and my fall warbler ID game is not so strong. Is it a blackpoll? Wingbars, black eyeline, white undertail, and yellow-orange feet (which you can just make out in the photos) had me leaning that way. It's got a lot of yellow though, moreso than I would expect on a fall blackpoll. Seems to have a little cheek patch. I'm not sure...