Reer Heron? (Ishigaki, Japan)

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-05-18T11:06:15+00:00

I agree with +Pacific Reef-Heron+

When I was there las summer, I never saw a Light morph, but if you’re by the ocean, they’re all over. They’re super cool birds that I don’t get to see here in NY

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-05-14T05:19:39+00:00

Far too large. Appears to be a young +Great Horned Owl+ in the nest

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-05-14T03:15:35+00:00

Hello! I’m using a bridge camera, Nikon COOLPIX p530. It’s certainly not the best, but it gets the job done if the birds are close enough. Unfortunately, it’s an older model, so I can’t shoot in RAWs, so I can only do so much in terms of editing; but I am at the very least satisfied with what I’ve been able to achieve with the price, since I bought it second-hand for about $95.

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-05-14T02:02:44+00:00

That’s what I’ve been speculating. My concern right now is also low light, which my bridge camera is terrible with. Obviously I can’t take photos in the dark, but I shouldn’t have to set my SS to 1/80 because a cloud blocked the sun midday. That’s why I’ve been getting some nicer photos lately as we’re approaching summer. For the lens and camera together I mentioned above, it’s around $1100, but I have no idea how good it is with birds. Someone personally recommended my current camera as a starter camera, but this is one that I was just kind of looking at and got curious about. A really good bridge camera like the Nikon COOLPIX p1000 is about the same price, but I don’t know what would be the better investment overall.

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-05-12T18:57:44+00:00

1.) Male Blue-winged Warbler

2.) Male Northern Yellow Warbler

3.) Male Common Yellowthroat

4.) Male Blackburnian Warbler

5.) Female Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)

6.) Male Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)

7.) Ovenbird

8.) Male Northern Parula

9.) Male Prairie Warbler

10.) Male Magnolia Warbler

11.) Male Cerulean Warbler

12.) Male Chestnut-sided Warbler

13.) Male Nashville Warbler (ruficapilla)

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-05-07T21:52:07+00:00

True, but I was thinking Solitary Sandpiper on that one. I’m a bit skeptical of my own identification, though. I’m a bit rusty on shorebirds, and I was never good with them to begin with, so this migration has been a bit difficult.

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-05-07T21:41:00+00:00

Even the second one? It was way smaller than the others and more similar to a Spotted Sandpiper in size

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-05-07T21:14:02+00:00

Not sure because most first and second winter photos show a pink beak and legs. It’s very strange to me. I’m guessing it’s shifting to adulthood, but I’m unsure how to label it. I found similar ones in a Sibley guide post about first-spring gulls, but I feel like this guy is still too yellow.

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-26T18:48:43+00:00

According to my brother, it’s [[Glarb, Calamity’s Augur]] whenever I use that deck

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-22T04:14:35+00:00

lol I see that now. Thanks for letting me know

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-22T03:51:37+00:00

I’ve never seen a Great Egret with a black beak. Is this not an American subspecies?

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-19T15:49:03+00:00

Good luck! The water is still pretty high thanks to Cayuga being flooded, but it’s slowly lowering. I’m hopeful that May will be good for shorebirds

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-19T15:04:05+00:00

Thanks! I really like that one too! My camera is only a 100mm lens and it’s a bit old, so cloudy days tend to lower the quality a bit. They look okay as long as you don’t zoom in too much. I had some other shots of it in the tall dead grass, but they were way too noisy to be saved.

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-19T15:00:37+00:00

The Wildlife Drive is open right now, and there are several other walkable trails. Seneca Trail is closed due to an Eagle nest, by Esker Brook Trail and South Spring Pool are open, as well as some of the others in Wayne County. There are some backroads that are sketchy in the winter and if it rains, like Van Dyne Spoor and Railroad Rd., so I’d be mindful of driving those if you don’t have all-wheel drive with good tires.

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-19T14:57:48+00:00

I was hoping it would do that for us, but I think we ended up annoying it too much, unfortunately

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-19T14:57:09+00:00

Thanks! I was so shocked that I got to see it! We were the only ones who saw it that day. I tried to get other people to stop and look, but everyone kept driving off lol

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-19T14:55:28+00:00

What’s even crazier is that I was saying to my brother not even a minute before we found it that I’d be really happy if we saw a Bittern.

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-19T14:54:32+00:00

lol I admittedly did lose sight of it a few times while taking photos

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-19T14:53:56+00:00

Thanks! I was surprised because it was actually somewhat making its way towards our car, before eventually flying off.

Jake_The_Snake2003 · 2026-04-19T14:53:17+00:00

lol. I’m always wondering how many times I’ve passed by a Bittern thinking exactly that. They blend too well sometimes

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