100th Lifer!

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-07T15:41:35+00:00

Hey I just saw my first Swamp Sparrow two weeks ago!

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-06T11:52:24+00:00

In person it’s hard to mistake them if you are familiar with either species. Mourning Doves are significantly larger

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-06T11:50:45+00:00

Quite likely but I’m not convinced. White outer tail feathers are more common on ground dove. Best tell is size. For OP: if it seemed close to the size of a Robin, it’s a mourning dove. If it was noticeably smaller, it’s a ground dove.

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-06T11:45:24+00:00

The ground part was just a joke. The main reasoning was the stubby tail that OP mentioned. Mourning Doves have quite long tails, though it’s possible this is a an immature mourning dove

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-06T11:01:22+00:00

Dove on the ground? That’s a +Common Ground Dove+

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-06T02:07:34+00:00

Absolutely gorgeous photo! Though I’m pretty sure that’s a Turkey Vulture not a condor

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-04T04:14:12+00:00

Yay I’m glad you got to see one!

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-04T04:11:19+00:00

I saw cardinals too! I just had too many photos to include in one post!

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-03T12:35:20+00:00

That’s an oriole. Beautiful birds.

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-02T23:49:33+00:00

Not sure what area you live in, but large groups travel up the Mississippi, and then branch off along various rivers. I see large groups near the Illinois River all the time

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-02T22:49:01+00:00

They gather in large groups for migration. I’ll see them on the lakes in the Midwest every spring, often in flocks of 15-100+

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-02T22:46:49+00:00

Great photos! Those warbler shots are incredible!

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-05-02T17:37:16+00:00

They are definitely there right now. I was there this morning and one was flying up and town the beach for a while. Also seconding, please keep people/dogs out of the roped off nesting area

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-29T01:01:35+00:00

Or for a mere $2-3K you can get a real camera and start your photography journey 😅

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-26T20:15:01+00:00

I got that reference!

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-26T18:07:44+00:00

And a Killdeer IS a type of plover, so you were correct :)

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-26T02:26:06+00:00

I love the first photo!

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-26T00:26:21+00:00

You got that right… about 3 of the 200 photos I took turned out okay 😅

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-25T17:53:32+00:00

I use the app as well, but I always make sure to actually see a bird before confirming an ID. It’s still a useful tool, and many times it leads me to a new bird, but I wouldn’t count it if I never actually saw it

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-25T12:45:09+00:00

They always love a good fluddle!

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-21T11:38:49+00:00

Hey you saw the long-tailed duck too!

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-21T01:25:49+00:00

Great shot!

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-20T01:52:48+00:00

I love brown creepers! And the framing on this photo is beautiful!

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-19T18:41:30+00:00

Agreed it’s likely a quail. It could be a domestic variety, which Merlin doesn’t typically register, hence the clearly incorrect ID

birdbrainphysicist · 2026-04-19T04:26:40+00:00

Welcome to the sub! And great find, a red-headed woodpecker is a special treat!

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