BirdNrd Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 (edited) What ssp. is this? If you know could you also explain why? Thanks! Los Osos, SLO County, CA a few days ago. Edited June 2, 2021 by BirdNrd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulK Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 (edited) I'm curious why you're asking. Is it that the bird looks odd to you, different from the ones you normally see? (Nice photos!) Edited June 2, 2021 by PaulK 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdNrd Posted June 3, 2021 Author Share Posted June 3, 2021 2 hours ago, PaulK said: I'm curious why you're asking. Is it that the bird looks odd to you, different from the ones you normally see? (Nice photos!) No, it's just I don't know how to tell so I asked. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulK Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 So you're in Nuttall's territory (Maps), and this looks fine for that as it doesn't have black lores (although I've never seen one, I'm in pugetensis territory). There's various discussions on the finer points of the minor physical differences but honestly I've only been able to do it based on song, as those are quite different by subspecies. I'd suggest looking at the ID info page on allaboutbirds which gives pictures of the various ones and recordings of the various songs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLecy Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 Before delving into the ID points that differentiate between the ssp., consider for a moment that you are looking at a WCSP in June in coastal southern CA (carrying food nonetheless). There is only one possibility. As for ID, the darkish diffuse back pattern (compared to more clean and contrasty pattern in pugetensis and gambelii) and brown interwoven with black at the nape are good indications of nuttalli. I find looking at the pack pattern and folded wing to be the most reliable ways to differentiate between the non-Dark-lored possibilities in CA. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulK Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 49 minutes ago, DLecy said: folded wing This is great stuff. What's the ID point with the folded wing please? I clearly misread something because I had thought that nuttalli and pugetensis were virtually indistinguishable physically. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan B Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 1 minute ago, PaulK said: I clearly misread something because I had thought that nuttalli and pugetensis were virtually indistinguishable physically. I had the same impression 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connor Cochrane Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 42 minutes ago, PaulK said: This is great stuff. What's the ID point with the folded wing please? I clearly misread something because I had thought that nuttalli and pugetensis were virtually indistinguishable physically. Nuttali has short primary projection, and pugetensis has longer. There are a few other minor details but that's the best way to tell. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLecy Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 5 minutes ago, PaulK said: This is great stuff. What's the ID point with the folded wing please? I clearly misread something because I had thought that nuttalli and pugetensis were virtually indistinguishable physically. With regards to nuttalli and pugetensis, since one is migratory and one is a year round resident which some think may not disperse more than a few blocks from the nest site, the length of the primaries on the folded wing can be useful, (but caution is warranted as it's a very difficult feature to see in the field, especially in comparison). That being said, what seemed most "off" to me about this bird was the bill color, which verges on orange and seems more indicative of gambelii than nuttalli. While there is some bill color variation in the "yellow-billed' WCSPs, this is perhaps the most orangish bill I have seen. Therefore, I was assuming that the OP was mostly trying to distinguish between gambelii and nuttalli. Maybe I was wrong about that and shouldn't have assumed. Length of pp on the folded wings is much different in these two and the wing bend is different color. 31 minutes ago, Connor Cochrane said: Nuttali has short primary projection, and pugetensis has longer. There are a few other minor details but that's the best way to tell. Yes. Lastly, for anyone interested. http://creagrus.home.montereybay.com/MTYbirdsWCSP1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulK Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 2 hours ago, DLecy said: Lastly, for anyone interested That's a great site, thanks. This stuff is tough, especially when trying to judge colour. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimitrig Posted June 6, 2021 Share Posted June 6, 2021 Very nice photos! What did you shoot this with? 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdNrd Posted June 6, 2021 Author Share Posted June 6, 2021 16 hours ago, dimitrig said: Very nice photos! What did you shoot this with? Thank you! I use a Canon Powershot SX 70 (point and shoot). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seanbirds Posted June 6, 2021 Share Posted June 6, 2021 3 minutes ago, BirdNrd said: Thank you! I use a Canon Powershot SX 70 (point and shoot). You could fool anybody into thinking you use a DSLR. Honestly, your'e the best P&S photographer I've ever seen. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdNrd Posted June 6, 2021 Author Share Posted June 6, 2021 1 minute ago, Seanbirds said: You could fool anybody into thinking you use a DSLR. Honestly, your'e the best P&S photographer I've ever seen. Thank you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimitrig Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 3 hours ago, BirdNrd said: Thank you! I use a Canon Powershot SX 70 (point and shoot).  I see that camera has a 65x zoom lens. Pretty nice for a P&S! You used a tripod, I assume?  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdNrd Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 1 hour ago, dimitrig said: You used a tripod, I assume?  No, I don’t use a tripod. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimitrig Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 1 hour ago, BirdNrd said: No, I don’t use a tripod.  Wow! Steady hands! Thanks for sharing!  2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor L. Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 10 hours ago, BirdNrd said: Thank you! I use a Canon Powershot SX 70 (point and shoot). Dude, I use the same one. Why are you getting shots this good? I’d actually like to know. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulK Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Speaking as another point and shoot user I'd also love to know what kind of settings you use to get shots this crisp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdNrd Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 8 hours ago, Trevor L. said: Dude, I use the same one. Why are you getting shots this good? I’d actually like to know. Most of the time the shots are so sharp because of luck and being relatively close to the bird. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdNrd Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 2 hours ago, PaulK said: Speaking as another point and shoot user I'd also love to know what kind of settings you use to get shots this crisp. I'm an amateur photographer so I don't use manual or other settings like that. I just use program. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulK Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Well you've got a great eye! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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