Metaquatic

Sure enough! Very unusual around here. Thanks!

Got it. Thanks!

Check out this under tail

This bird was seen with some Magnolia Warblers. But this guy doesn't have the under tail or stripes. Not a female Common Yellow Throat because not yellow vent. Head is too grey for Yellow Throated Vireo and Warbler. What do you think?

If it had been in the reeds I might have gotten that. I guess that's why migration is so much fun! Thanks

I've tried playback a couple times on Virginias, Clappers, and once on a King and a Black Rail. I could get them to talk back but never "come out" for a picture. My best sightings have been staked out in a canoe looking over a mudflat at low tide, up a little creek path, or a place where the reeds have been pressed down. Also see if farmers will let you hang around the edges of the field while they are harvesting. Lots of things moving while the habitat is systematically eliminated. Check out the Yellow Rails and Rice Festival in Jennings, LA.

An immature Semipalmated would have short bill and yellow legs also. I just thought I would run it past the community for confirmation. Thanks!

Red-Tailed Hawk

Yes, please give the location you saw the bird. It's probably a woodpecker of sorts. Charlie S gives a good guess at Red-Headed Woodpecker. I will go way out on a limb and guess Red-breasted Sapsucker if you live in North California, Oregon, Washington area.

Sorry, I errantly lumped Tyrannidae with the Empids. Still difficult to ID.

Not to dampen your birding spirit too much but, Flycatcher (Empidonax) ID is hard even for the experts when they have the bird in their hand. The visual differentiations are minute and very debatable even with a picture National Geographic would be proud of. Too shorten the list you can use eBird to see what is being seen in your location. Here is a link to some visual ID helps; http://publications.aba.org/birding_archive_files/v41n2p30.pdf. Finally, the best birders I know mostly rely on audible cues from the bird. Once you get a few songs under your belt you will be able to tell the difference between a Dusky-capped and Brown-crested Flycatcher long before you even see the bird. Good Luck!