8 replies to this topic

[BirderMadeleine]

Visited the Rio Grande Valley and South Padre Island, TX recently for, well, birding, of course! I have already made IDs for all of them, but I won't say them here, at the risk of influencing others' own opinions.
So, your thoughts on these birds?

Attached Files

•  duck1.bmp   990.27K   38 downloads
•  fly6.bmp   828.47K   21 downloads
•  sandsolo1.bmp   939.66K   20 downloads
•  sandwithpechead2head.bmp   1.13MB   13 downloads
•  anothersandpiper.bmp   1008.9K   8 downloads
•  swallow.bmp   901.93K   12 downloads
•  dowitcherclose-up.bmp   793.74K   12 downloads
•  anotherduck1.bmp   1014.03K   10 downloads

[BirderMadeleine]

There are a few other photos I was going to attach but can't for some reason.

[Kryptos18]

1. Mottled Duck
2. Great Crested Flycatcher
3. Bad angle for me, sorry
4. I'd say Semipalmated and Pectoral
5. Urgh... Pec?
6. Cave Swallow
7. Dowitcher sp. Thinking Short-billed
8. Female Redhead

[wildfelco]

why do they download when i try to open? :/

[Liam]

why do they download when i try to open? :/

They're .bmp files, not .jpg like most files you'll encounter on here.

[BirderMadeleine]

Sorry for bumping my old thread, but I'm just looking at this now.... Kryptos, thanks for the help.
A couple of questions though, how are you telling apart Mottled from Mexican Mallard? I ask this because this is an area where I have little experience with differentiating the species. For bird #2 I was leaning more towards Brown-crested because the yellow isn't as high up the chest as I usually see on Great-crested. It's also not as vibrant, if that means anything. What do ya'll think about Baird's Sandpiper for #5? Any other thoughts on the dowitcher? My thought is Short-billed.

(I will post more shots)

[TheBillyPilgrim]

Your Myiarchus shot is a tough angle, but I would lean Great-Crested based on the extent of rufous on the tail and yellow on the breast (as you pointed out, though, these are fairly subjective). If you have a better shot of the bill and face, that would help a lot (GCFL show a paler base to their bill and more extensively gray lores).

[TheBillyPilgrim]

I'd also say you have a male Mottled, not Mexican, based on the plain face and throat, minimal dark cap, and black spot on the gape (I believe the last character is pretty diagnostic).

[BirderMadeleine]

Thanks BillyPilgrim! I'll post some more shots.