millipede Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 In the last week, here in NW Arkansas Sorry for the lighting... was a very shady area. This, I may feel like an idiot after someone tells me this one. Just a plain looking brown bird... typically I'd think indigo bunting but the bill looks ALL wrong for that. This was also making a weird chip I did not recognize... there were common yellowthroats nearby so the chip it was making really stood out. NOT at all like an indigo bunting call... Thankfully it perched for a bit and I got a few pics. Looks like the crown/cap is a little darker than the cheeks but overall, not much for any pattern to speak of. Just want to confirm blackburnian on this one. When it caught my eye, the head color looked like black-throated green warbler... but, further examination told me something else. This tanager was at a BAD angle... almost straight up. Was difficult to get good looks. I believe summer, bill looks good for summer. In the field, the wings looked a little darker than the body but, not black by any means. Want to confirm OCWA And then, another warbler... I think even another bird escaped me that day, this was in my yard. Was a little frustrating. Sort of has a parula feel but, no wingbars. Unless I'm seeing it wrong. There was something in there that got away that day... definitely had yellow and no wingbars... I like the shape to the end of the tail here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiscalus quiscula Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 Just gonna point out the easier ones- query 3 is Black-throated Green. Last one is a Northern Parula, only parulas have yellow on their lower mandible, and those eye arcs... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bird-Boys Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 The Tanager is a Summer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millipede Posted September 30, 2022 Author Share Posted September 30, 2022 34 minutes ago, Quiscalus quiscula said: query 3 is Black-throated Green. I'm guessing maybe an immature or female since there's no black throat? Wish I had better pictures of all the birds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millipede Posted October 1, 2022 Author Share Posted October 1, 2022 I will look again to see if I have another pic for my suspected OCWA... I remember it being a plain warbler and there's a lighter color patch/spot near the front of where the wing attaches to the body... I'm not sure how you'd point that out but, it's a trait I've seen on most of the OCWAs I've seen. I feel like the best pics out of the bunch are of the little brown bird so I had figured that would have been one of the easy ones. I'll double check that bird as well but I don't think I have any shots that show the side of the wings or back. That might be all we have to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 30 minutes ago, millipede said: I will look again to see if I have another pic for my suspected OCWA... I remember it being a plain warbler and there's a lighter color patch/spot near the front of where the wing attaches to the body... I'm not sure how you'd point that out but, it's a trait I've seen on most of the OCWAs I've seen. I feel like the best pics out of the bunch are of the little brown bird so I had figured that would have been one of the easy ones. I'll double check that bird as well but I don't think I have any shots that show the side of the wings or back. That might be all we have to work with. That bird strikes me more as a Tennessee but it may not be identifiable 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millipede Posted October 1, 2022 Author Share Posted October 1, 2022 I have a few more of the brown bird, and one more of that warbler... but, none of the pics are better than what I already posted. Hmmm... For the brown bird... I TRIED to use Merlin to take a picture of the bird while on the laptop screen... The little brown bird... first it suggested broad-billed hummingbird... Then with another pic it suggested red-necked phalarope or hudsonian godwit. I understand taking a picture of a picture isn't going to be wonderful and all but... really? HA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 Pass on the first photo section. Young (which probably explains the strange calls)Indigo Bunting. Black-throated Green Warbler. Definitely a Summer Tanager. Looks like Orange-crowned to me. Something seems strange...but I guess I'm on team Northern Parula. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birds are cool Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 The first photo is unidentifiable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanager 101 Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 4 hours ago, Kevin said: Pass on the first photo section. Young (which probably explains the strange calls)Indigo Bunting. Black-throated Green Warbler. Definitely a Summer Tanager. Looks like Orange-crowned to me. Something seems strange...but I guess I'm on team Northern Parula. I'd agree with just about all of this. On the Orange-crowned is it possible it is a female Black-throated Blue with a dull white wing spot. That is what it looks like to me. You can see it is a bit lighter in the spot where the white would be. I'm probably wrong but it is kind of what it feel like to me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aveschapinas Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 I agree that the third bird looks fine for a Black-Throated Green Warbler. The little brown one is giving me young House Sparrow vibes - it seems to have a lot of yellow gape, and I think I see the cream-colored "eyebrow". And maybe also explains the unusual call? But I have not experience with Indigo Buntings so I could be way off base here; I'm just throwing it out there because that was my impression. If it was in the woods probably not a House Sparrow though. The last one looks like not quite a Tennessee to me - I haven't seen Northern Parula so I can't really address that one but it seems awfully yellow in the throat given the duller colors overall, but the eye line looks good. I'm not sure we can be certain the mandible is yellow; could it be the throat? It's a little hard for me to see clearly where the throat ends and the bill starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millipede Posted October 1, 2022 Author Share Posted October 1, 2022 5 hours ago, Kevin said: Young (which probably explains the strange calls)Indigo Bunting. I've never heard, say, in the nest young buntings so, I don't know what to compare it to but, definitely wasn't an adult bunting call. There are still some buntings present lately... House sparrows are not super common at this park but, sure couldn't be ruled out. This was in a prairie/shrubby type area between a kept up disc golf course and the lake and woods. Was hanging near some common yellowthroats. For the most part, I'd lean indigo any time I saw a small enough, mostly brown bird... Between the chip in the field and, in the pics, the bill just looks small to me... Part of that problem is what you have to go by... if you compare the looks you might normally get or drawings or GOOD photos and then, you see this eh, okay-ish photo... sometimes that's enough to throw you off... but, I feel I would expect a thicker bill for indigo. The yellow could just be from it being a young bird, I'm assuming. I've seen immature buntings before but, never heard chips like this from them... Side note... I LOVE that this is a conversation with varying thoughts and opinions and not a "duh, millipede... can't you tell it's _____" all nice and simple. ? I wish I had other pictures of the potential orange-crowned. I don't think black-throated blue... among other reasons, it would be a little out of place here almost any time of year. Not impossible mind you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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