Mark5 136 Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 All from 8/27 on the south side of Chicago. 1) Solitary Sandpiper? DSC01976r solitary sandpiper by Mark Ross, on Flickr 2) Northern Shoveler? I am judging this only on bill size. DSC02099r northern shoveler by Mark Ross, on Flickr 3 ) Mallard to the left. Wood duck below. What is on the right? DSC01964r ducks by Mark Ross, on Flickr 4) This sparrow was running between clumps of vegetation in the swamp. DSC02054r sparrow by Mark Ross, on Flickr Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Frugalbirders 2 Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 1. Probably Solitary Sandpiper, but that tail barring really speaks to Spotted. Both have spots on back. Facial pattern makes it a prob Solitary. 2. Northern Shoveler. Nothing else with that profile. 3. Looks like Mallards in back. Wood Duck in front. 4. Odd sparrow. That is a crazy long tail. Has to be a trick of the eye, or weird angle or something. Any additional pic would help. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blackburnian 1,183 Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 4 is Song. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
akiley 1,152 Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 I'm not sure that we can rule out Blue-winged Teal for number 2. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Liam 156 Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 I agree with Blue-winged Teal on 2. Proportions are too stocky for Shoveler and the feathers by the base of the bill are pale. I think the bill is not as long as it appears in the picture and distortion is blending the bill with ripples on the water's surface. The Sparrow is a juvenile, hence the odd plumage. Molted feathers around the rump of vent could contribute to the long-tailed appearance. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tony Leukering 2,285 Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 Yup, Blue-winged Teal. Note the white tail on the right Mallard in the third pic. Mallard and Northern Shoveler have the only wholly or nearly wholly white tails among dabblers; Blue-winged's (just barely notable in that pic) is fairly extensively white, particularly at certain times of year and more so in males than females. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nighthawk01 171 Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 On 9/12/2018 at 1:59 PM, Frugalbirders said: 1. Probably Solitary Sandpiper, but that tail barring really speaks to Spotted. Both have spots on back. Facial pattern makes it a prob Solitary. 2. Northern Shoveler. Nothing else with that profile. 3. Looks like Mallards in back. Wood Duck in front. 4. Odd sparrow. That is a crazy long tail. Has to be a trick of the eye, or weird angle or something. Any additional pic would help. Agreed Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tony Leukering 2,285 Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 The shorebird's tail cannot be seen in the photo, and juvenile Spotted Sandpipers do not have spots, they have short bars, on their wing coverts. Spotted also has short legs, and short wings, the tips of which do not reach the tail tip. Finally, the site looks more like a marsh than a swamp. 😎 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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