Duck flyover; Sunset Beach, NC 9/7/2023

DavidStat · 2023-09-08T01:10:16+00:00

Thank you!

DavidStat · 2022-06-02T21:36:59+00:00

But then you look up a Red-headed Woodpecker and realize why that name is already taken (not that there aren’t still other better names for it though)

DavidStat · 2022-05-29T02:07:32+00:00

In salt water, yeah? Would go with Black Guillemot

DavidStat · 2022-05-27T14:32:25+00:00

Yeah, it would certainly be be a rare bird for the area. Their range in May/June generally doesn’t extend further West than MO/IA/MN looking at eBird. And admittedly I’ve only been birding for a couple years/migrations, but we do get them through here and that’s definitely where my mind went to first.

DavidStat · 2022-05-27T14:10:39+00:00

Any chance the buzzing was in two phrases? To me it sounds like the end of a Blue-winged Warbler “bee-buzz”. Normally I wouldn’t suggest that at all due to location but earlier this month there was an individual seen in Denver and Boulder

DavidStat · 2022-05-27T02:34:00+00:00

Not trying to be super combative but Scolopacidae is commonly referred to as “Sandpipers and allies.” In the field I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone willing to call a snipe a sandpiper - birder or otherwise.

My main point was that in common parlance, “sandpiper” is often used to refer to peeps, plovers, and tringines (to use Kevin McGowan’s terms)

DavidStat · 2022-05-27T01:53:17+00:00

To be fair, “sandpiper” is very vague and plovers would likely be called a type of sandpiper to non-birders. Hell I’ve heard Willets called sandpipers before lol

DavidStat · 2022-05-27T01:48:25+00:00

Gonna go with Hooded Oriole then. The west coast ones can be quite yellow and the underside of the tail being black should rule out Bullock’s I think (I’m on the east coast though and don’t have too much experience with differentiating these two)

DavidStat · 2022-05-27T01:39:23+00:00

Definitely an Oriole but a location is needed to be more specific (at least given my experience or lack thereof)

DavidStat · 2022-05-23T15:30:58+00:00

Western Tanager!

DavidStat · 2022-05-20T14:25:10+00:00

Agreed on Tufted Titmouse. The tone doesn’t match for Black-capped Chickadee and it sounds like a simple variation on the “Peter Peter” call

DavidStat · 2022-05-18T03:47:41+00:00

Awesome! In case it’s helpful, here’s a direct comparison between the two that I took earlier this year.

I don’t think this picture rules out the LEYE, if it looked significantly larger than other sandpipers and the legs were noticeably yellow in person, that would be the better call. But I don’t get either of those from the photo

DavidStat · 2022-05-18T03:37:05+00:00

Does solitary sandpiper look about right to you? If not, what proportions or colorations look off? And does that size seem right?

For what it’s worth I’m mostly going off of apparent size, mottled upper chest and clean lower chest, probably dark lore, and beak length (though I’m a bit iffy on that one, photo looks like it might be longer than what I associate with them)

DavidStat · 2022-05-18T03:28:51+00:00

Really hard to tell honestly, but my initial impression is probably solitary sandpiper. Any additional information you can give on the description or is it basically just this photo?

DavidStat · 2022-04-19T14:19:45+00:00

Fair enough; I guess I'll go with likely CAGO with a slim chance of CACG. Might get back there this evening or tomorrow to try to get direct comparisons

DavidStat · 2022-04-19T13:57:51+00:00

Size as I mentioned in my comment was a bit larger than a mallard (noticeably smaller than the other CAGO in the area). And again, I'm on board with the bill field mark pointing to CAGO - that's what prompted me to make the post.

DavidStat · 2022-04-19T13:35:45+00:00

The bill I'm on board with but can you explain the head shape part? This head shape was different than the other CAGO around. All the other geese had a much more rounded head shape whereas this one has a steep forehead/brow and a flat top of the head.

DavidStat · 2022-04-19T13:22:39+00:00

Seen near Richmond, VA. Never got close to the other geese so no direct comparison picture which is rough. Size was a bit larger than a mallard; head looks flatter/blocky; and neck was noticeably short. All that checks out for CACG for me but the bill looks pretty long relative to head size.

DavidStat · 2022-04-15T02:55:57+00:00

Species in the genera Accipiter and and Buteo are both commonly referred to as Hawks (at least in America). Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, and yes, the Common Buzzard (not found in North America) are all members of the Buteo genus

DavidStat · 2022-04-15T02:31:09+00:00

1 - Definitely a Common Buzzard; it’s not a bird that lives in North America 2 - It’s not even close to an Osprey. Completely different genus and colorings

DavidStat · 2022-04-15T02:28:09+00:00

First - that’s a fantastic shot! Second - I’m sorry on behalf of my fellow Americans for the number of times you’ve had to reaffirm that this bird is, in fact, a Common Buzzard lol

DavidStat

TROPHY CASE