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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Dec 29, 2011 - 12:05pm PT
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A couple from my morning walk with the dog.
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Dec 29, 2011 - 01:15pm PT
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Dr. F - that sapsucker looks like a Red-breasted to me.
Cyndie - those look like House Finches
Riley - that ID challenge is a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and I see nothing in that photo to suggest otherwise. Somewhat notched tail. Bold dark bar across the bases of the secondaries. Yellow-green edging to all the flight feathers. Faint top wing bar reduced to a streak and a strong lower wing bar. This is a Ruby-crowned Kinglet; I'd stake my Pulitzer on it.
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Dec 29, 2011 - 02:04pm PT
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I think it's an "I wouldn't have seen it if I hadn't have believed it" scenarios. We've all had 'em, and goodness knows I've had a few that I'll never live down. You went looking for a Hammond's, and your brain is trying to turn this kinglet into one. But this is a kinglet regardless, all the way around. On my screen I see a strong greenish yellow edging to the secondaries that is classic kinglet and precludes Hammond's. And Hammond's would have a much stronger top wingbar. Posture alone (unless it was windy) and those long, skinny legs (which are lit up from backlighting) suggest something other than an Empid. You saw the bird; what was it doing? Flycatching, or flitting around and hover-gleaning? Looks to me like he's in the middle of that thorny tangle, doing what kinglets do.
PS - these little jobbers are tough, so it's definitely a reasonable mistake. And on the upside, when you finally do see a Hammond's, the victory will be that much the greater!
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Dec 29, 2011 - 05:11pm PT
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The apparent leg color just the sun coming through 'cause they're backlit. That's also what's giving the bill some glare, which is making it appear a bit more substantial than it really is.
"jumping along" definitely = kinglet. Flycatchers tend to sit patiently in one spot and then sally out to grab something.
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Dec 29, 2011 - 06:44pm PT
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Saw these two beauties on the way to the dentist office today.
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Tony
Trad climber
Pt. Richmond, CA
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Dec 29, 2011 - 11:18pm PT
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Craig and Willoughby,
Here are a couple of articles about hybridization of Red-breasted and Red-naped Sapsucker. Apparently it is quite common in Oregon and Washington. We found a definite hybrid in Pleasanton during last year’s Xmas bird count. A bird showed up this year in the same spot, but appeared more like Craig’s bird: much more toward Red-breasted. I understand first-year birds can be pretty difficult. I imagine Willoughby sees a lot of Red-breasted. We only get wintering birds in the Bay Area. They are mostly RB, but there are occasional Red-naped.
Here is a photo of the Pleasanton hybrid:
RBxRN Sapsucker/
Here are articles about determining hybrids.
http://www.paradisebirding.com/picidae/HybridSapsuckers.pdf
http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v102n01/p0001-p0015.pdf
I could buy RC Kinglet. I usually start with the frenetic behavior, so it is hard for me to work from a static photo. The bill does seem rather big, though.
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cyndiebransford
climber
31 years in Joshua Tree, now Alaska
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Dec 30, 2011 - 12:12am PT
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I need some more raptor ID help. I saw these today near St. George, Utah.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 30, 2011 - 12:46am PT
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Cindie,
Don't expect any help, they totally blew me and my Aplomado off.
It looks a Northern Rough-legged to me.
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vôo
climber
Denver, CO
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Dec 30, 2011 - 01:02am PT
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 30, 2011 - 01:19am PT
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Just jerkin' yer chain cuz! I thought it a buteo at first and also thought
it looked a tad large but the pampa is a little shy on buteos and a large
female isn't out of the question especially given the facial and scaling
the subject with the wire. That bill is definitely more falcon-sized IMHO.
Voo, now do you see where the term 'shredding' comes from? Those are dainty
compared to a Harpys'. :-)
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 30, 2011 - 01:39am PT
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Just a little update from Seattle's Lake Washington and our favorite landfill(*1). I have such a difficult/impossible time distinguishing between Tundras and Trumpeters, but our local experts say:
"Also on view at the Fill today, a TUNDRA SWAN out on the lake in the
company of a dozen Trumpeter Swans, so"
and the cropped version
Asides:
My first impression was Ruby Crowned Kinglet, and we have a fair number of them here. Golden Crowned aren't so common.
We're (wee wifie and I) are off to the Skagit for New Year's Eve for a much need work break and maybe have a pint and/or glass or two. But I won't let up on my shoulder physical therapy.
(*1) OK, Berkeley's does have Burrowing Owls.
ps sorry about the image width.
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Dec 30, 2011 - 01:43am PT
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Reilly, I missed that too. Looks more like a young Gray Hawk to me, but I won't pretend to be an expert on either species.
I'm with Riley on Cyndie's raptors.
We get a decent number of sapsucker hybrids along the East Slope of the Sierra, especially in fall. Around Mono Lake, you can easily find mixed up birds, and mixed-up pairs, breeding among the aspen in the summer. I think Dr. F's bird looks fine for a daggetti Red-breasted. It may have a few drops of Red-naped blood in it, but not much more than that. This is possibly a young bird, and the red will continue to fill in a bit. But either way, I often see Red-breasteds around here that have every bit that much facial pattern, if not more. The field guides do a lousy job of illustrating the extent of variation with that subspecies, but at least Sibley mentions it. Hybrids should show more supercilium, more dark in the cheek, and some black across the top of the breast. I don't see any indication of a black bib. That Birding article is a great reference, and you'll note the bird from Mono County looks an awful lot like Dr. F's bird.
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cyndiebransford
climber
31 years in Joshua Tree, now Alaska
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Dec 30, 2011 - 01:53am PT
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Thank you again. How about one more from yesterday?
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scuffy b
climber
heading slowly NNW
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Dec 30, 2011 - 11:24am PT
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Cindie, that looks like a female Harrier to me. The one with the full crop
is a male. Same location?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 30, 2011 - 11:55am PT
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Willoughby,
I think you're right on the Grey Hawk. Sibley's immature sure looks like it.
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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Dec 30, 2011 - 12:06pm PT
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Here is a mini-trip report from my Carrizo Plain trip...
tip #1 - get a FULL tank of gas as there is no gas within like 70 miles and in SMargarita it was $4.75
Before we even left San Luis Obispo we went by my friends local feeder and I got 4 new ones right off the bat. I'd tell you what they are but you'd laugh, they're normal everyday birds but for some reason... not in my neighboring town (Stellars Jay!).
We debated getting gas in town but decided to wait until Santa Margarita. Bad idea. Thus, I only filled up 3.5 gallons and when we got to Soda Lake I was about at the turn around spot if I didn't want to run out so we didn't get very far into Carrizo Plain. But my buddy said it all looked like that, just more of it. Oh well. Now I know why I never went out there. If you're not into birds... man, what a wasteland. Sorry to offend anyone. But plenty of raptors.
Wild Turkeys, like 40+ in a long train marching across the field, just off Hwy 58 5 miles out of Santa Margarita.
Golden Eagle above Soda Lake... dry dry dry chalky salty empty Soda Lake.
Dad... I thought you said this was a lake?
A rare peregrine sighting. We also saw a prairie falcon and they are definitely different, wearing different masks and having light/dark feather patterns. The field guide online only showed on sighting in March. But there were rocks nearby or Kermin Rd. or whatever it was called. We ate lunch there.
Fun caves and cliffs nearby. Great spot for lunch.
My son liked this one.
Vesper Sparrow. Lots of sparrows...
On the way back we took a side trip down what looked to be a private road but found this...The salinas river bridge... 98 years old! Cool rocks and river underneath.
Saw some band tailed pigeons and acorn woodpecker.
My 7 year old did great, only asked "Are we almost there?" twice.
I got 11 new birds, but my friend told me my previous chipping sparrow sighting on another trip turned out to be an immature white crown so now i'm sitting on 99 on the last day. Gotta drag the kids out somewhere and hopefully #100 is sitting out there waiting patiently for me.
Fun fun
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BrassNuts
Trad climber
Save your a_s, reach for the brass...
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Dec 30, 2011 - 01:58pm PT
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Carrizo plain, gotta get there. Lots O birds and flowers to see. Cool. Here are just a quick few from around our house in recent days. Check out the bill deformation on this Flicker - we call him "Curly"...
A couple O Juncos...
Happy New Year!!
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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Dec 30, 2011 - 05:39pm PT
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Ta Dah!
Townsend's Warbler is #100 ! in two months.
Now I'm gonna go drink a beer...
(we probably drove 18 miles on hilly roads looking for anything that moved that was new... what's wrong with us?)
Here is a SLIDESHOW http://slatervision.com/www.slatervision.com/First%20100%20Birds/ of many of them. I did not get photos of all of them, and they aren't great, but they might be fun to quiz yourself with :)
Bird Flash Cards...
Woah, what an idea! Did anyone make those yet!? I'd buy 'em!
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Tony
Trad climber
Pt. Richmond, CA
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Dec 30, 2011 - 11:33pm PT
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Slater,
Way to go. I really enjoyed your slideshow. A very nice selection for the first 100. I have comments on a couple of IDs. Your Common Loon looks like a Pacific to me. It has a nice chinstrap and the bill doesn't look as stout as for a Common. I wouldn't complain since Pacifics are harder to come by in my experience. Your Field Sparrow may be a first-winter White-crowned Sparrow. These drove me crazy for some time. The Black-bellied Plover looks like it might be a Golden-plover, probably Pacific. That's a pretty good bird on the West Coast. Could anyone else weigh in on this? I probably should keep my mouth shut after my RC Kinglet/Empid call.
Riley,
Thanks for the heads-up on Caspers Regional Park. I only had a couple of hours there late today. It started out well with a CA Thrasher singing from the top of a tree as I was getting out of my car at the Nature Center. Then near the end of the trail I found one (actually two) of my favorites, Cactus Wren. Maybe this was in the area where you got that great shot with the Prickly Pear juice all over the bill.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Dec 30, 2011 - 11:35pm PT
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Nice Townsends! Congrats on your first 100. It's been fun watching with you. :)
edit: loving the photos of Curly. He's a sweet little guy that comes by daily to drink from the bird bath and chow on some peanut suet. I hope his bill isn't eventually the end of him. At this time, it doesn't seem to bug him a bit.
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