RobinHood

Thanks @blackburnian once again. As an aside I have occasionally wondered if your whatbird name is origin based (Lancashire?) or bird referenced (not owl or Warbler!!), but feel free to to ignore this personal intrusion. Thanks again.

Today along the southern shoreline of Lake Huron, Ontario. Fairly sure but the Yellowlegs is new at this location and the Pewee is uncommon so just making sure. Yellowlegs - I took a lot of photos of this bird and it is interesting that in most shots the bill appeared straight, in a few upturned and in one or two even down-turned!! Pewee - in a major turf war with a Phoebe - at first glance I thought Olive-sided but long tail, wing markings and yellow on breast so Eastern Wood-Pewee? Thanks.

Thanks @blackburnian. That was of course the most likely answer and I almost suggested it as an option, they just looked slightly different (maybe the false colour on the wings). On the positive side I can put it to rest and I think you win the prize for my fastest response. On the negative side it was really quiet today. Thanks again.

Today along the shoreline of Lake Huron, Southern Ontario. Way off in the distance and only had the chance to grab one image, extreme crop evident by the file size. Just wondering if they look familiar to anyone - probably nothing special and maybe the angle makes them look more interesting than they are - long narrow wings? Thanks. PS. Sometimes (most times) I forget about these lost causes, other times they just won't go away!!

Thanks @blackburnian and @Sean C for the feedback. This was the view I had initially and got my interest, but still a Mallard?

Thanks TBNs. You are most likely correct. This one stayed away from the other ducks and the large patch of "silver colouring" on the wings appeared very distinctive but maybe/probably wishful thinking. I was actually leaning towards hybrid but maybe I need to calm down and get back to basics. Thanks again.

Southern Ontario today. I spotted this Gadwall today and I'm not sure if it is one of the two I posted July 30. They are quite or even very uncommon at this time of year so it has got my interest. The head profile does not appear to have the typical "forehead" but possibly because it has been foraging and the feathers are flattened. Also the bill appears much paler than the previous two which had definite orange/black colouring (I played around in editing and it remained pale but....). The white tail appearance may just be the lighting. Image 1. Gadwall seen today. Image 2. A different picture than the one posted previously of the Gadwalls seen on July 30 for comparison. Any comments appreciated, if it is just a typical Gadwall that is fine. Thanks. Image 1. Gadwall seen today. I Image 2. Gadwalls seen July 30.

Thanks @blackburnian and @akiley for the feedback. I took the photos at the time because this particular bird appeared to have a much darker mantle than the other Herrings around. However, I don't think there is enough detail to work with (definitely does not have the flesh coloring on the bill, although some of the internet hybrid images I found also lack this characteristic) and this is probably why I left it for a while. I will place it in the "unsolved identities" file. @John Landon. Yes, the more recent one by Olsen - Gulls of the World: A Photographic Guide. My thinking is that as there always gulls around it gives me something to work on to improve my limited ID skills.

Request for assistance with this bird officially withdrawn. Almost certainly just a Great Black-backed. OTOH it has resulted in me breaking down and ordering Gulls of the World (as recommended by @akiley). It was a little pricey as a relatively new book for a while (about Cdn $75) but I noticed Amazon currently has it on sale so the deed is done.

Southern Ontario - March 1, 2019. Just wondering if there is sufficient detail here (bill characteristics and paler black on wings) to confirm Herring/Great Black-backed Gull hybrid or maybe just GBBG. All other photos were taken at a similar angle so not helpful. I found a hybrid in the same location the previous December. Thanks.

Thanks @akiley for the confirmation and the suggestion. I had previously read somewhere that it is very good so will check into it.

Southern Ontario two days ago. Trying to improve my ID knowledge of gulls. Fairly sure these must be Herring and Ring-billed. Thanks

I came across this one yesterday - I was thinking it might be a Dutch variant for a few seconds.

Southern Ontario today. Only got a brief glimpse and a heavily cropped, OOF photo. Thanks.

Thanks @von Humboldt for the response and additional information. As a 'beginner" I should probably not be the one engaging in this topic however as a starting point I took another very quick look through Sibley and a different bill colour is shown for both the Gadwall and the Northern Shoveler adult males, black and orange/black. In the case of the latter it is "breeding - December to May" versus "fall - September to November" for adult males, the former was breeding -September to May and non-breeding - June to August. Is it possible in each case that these birds are classified as adults (at least according to Sibley) before the bill changes completely to black? I have not checked other guides for a similar approach. Update - I just checked National Geographic which shows a somewhat paler bill in the fall for the Shoveler. Some of the Grebes have different bill colours in breeding and non-breeding phases so is it at least possible theoretically for this to happen in other birds. Just wondering. Regards.