13 replies to this topic

[folkeye]

After being out and about today here's the few I'd like confirmations on... (actually took a guess at some). Taken in Kodiak Alaska.

1. Common Merganser?



Merganser by notrufus, on Flickr

2. Northern Pintail?



Duck by notrufus, on Flickr

3. Best shot I could get... Maybe a Goldeneye or White-winged Scoter?



BW Ducks by notrufus, on Flickr

4. Duck:



Duck 2 by notrufus, on Flickr

[folkeye]

5. Brown Duck



Duck 3 by notrufus, on Flickr

SOME NON DUCKS:

6. Greater Yellowlegs?



Greater Yellowlegs by notrufus, on Flickr

7. Small Gull



Small Gull 3 by notrufus, on Flickr



Small Gull 2 by notrufus, on Flickr

8. Gray Little Guy



Gray Bird by notrufus, on Flickr

Short video of the gray bird:

[jblakelock]

Just a quick response, but I think #8 is a Wandering Tattler. I went somewhere recently where there have been sightings of one. I didn't see it, but this is pretty spot on for one. Nice bird.

[fisherman1313]

1. Agree
2. Agree
3. Still working on this one
4. Harlequin Duck
5. I'm thinking Eurasion Wigeon, but I could be wrong
6. Agree
7. Pass
8. Wandering Tattler

[psweet]

#1 looks like Red-breasted Mergansers, you can see a double crest on a couple of them, and they have the steep forehead of Red-breasteds.
#5 looks like an American Wigeon -- there are two things wrong for Eurasian. First, Eurasian should show a duller body and brighter face. Second, Eurasian doesn't show a dark edge to the base of the bill -- you can see it here right at the lower corner of the bill.
#7 is a Mew Gull.
#3, the best I can come up with is Goldeneye, and I'm not happy about that, either. A White-winged Scoter wouldn't ever show the white mark at the front of the wings, all 3 of these guys have it.

[Liam]

#1 looks like Red-breasted Mergansers, you can see a double crest on a couple of them, and they have the steep forehead of Red-breasteds.
#5 looks like an American Wigeon -- there are two things wrong for Eurasian. First, Eurasian should show a duller body and brighter face. Second, Eurasian doesn't show a dark edge to the base of the bill -- you can see it here right at the lower corner of the bill.
#7 is a Mew Gull.
#3, the best I can come up with is Goldeneye, and I'm not happy about that, either. A White-winged Scoter wouldn't ever show the white mark at the front of the wings, all 3 of these guys have it.

I agree.

Goldeneye is my best guess for 3 as well. Folkeye, I don't suppose you have any more photos of these birds?

[folkeye]

I agree.

Goldeneye is my best guess for 3 as well. Folkeye, I don't suppose you have any more photos of these birds?

Maybe they could be buffleheads too.

Sadly it looks like I deleted it off my camera after I determined that was the best of the three black and white duck butt shots....

Getting the camera out to take a picture of them was followed by the words '...and there they go.' Hopefully see some more of them and get a better look or picture before I go home.

As for the merganser, anybody else leaning towards common or red-breasted as a confirmation?

[Liam]

Maybe they could be buffleheads too.

Sadly it looks like I deleted it off my camera after I determined that was the best of the three black and white duck butt shots....

Getting the camera out to take a picture of them was followed by the words '...and there they go.' Hopefully see some more of them and get a better look or picture before I go home.

As for the merganser, anybody else leaning towards common or red-breasted as a confirmation?

Yeah, I accidentally deleted my only photo of my lifer Black-necked Stilt last year. It was barely identifiable, but better than nothing. I was just deleting all the bad photos and my stilt shot happened to be one of them. I didn't realize it was gone until later.

My previous post was in agreement to all psweet's statements, Red-breasted Mergansers included.

[fisherman1313]

I do believe Psweet is right about the mergansers, on second look the bill looks pretty thin, too.

[birdbrain22]

#1 looks like Red-breasted Mergansers, you can see a double crest on a couple of them, and they have the steep forehead of Red-breasteds.
#5 looks like an American Wigeon -- there are two things wrong for Eurasian. First, Eurasian should show a duller body and brighter face. Second, Eurasian doesn't show a dark edge to the base of the bill -- you can see it here right at the lower corner of the bill.
#7 is a Mew Gull.
#3, the best I can come up with is Goldeneye, and I'm not happy about that, either. A White-winged Scoter wouldn't ever show the white mark at the front of the wings, all 3 of these guys have it.

Agree with this. Except... #3 has me puzzled. Nothing I can find or know of has that wing pattern/ head pattern.

[birdbrain22]

After looking into it more... I think the wing pattern of #3 looks like a Grebe. I would say the white on the leading edge seems to point to Red-necked, but I can see Horned as well.

[psweet]

After looking into it more... I think the wing pattern of #3 looks like a Grebe. I would say the white on the leading edge seems to point to Red-necked, but I can see Horned as well

D'oh! Horned Grebe -- good call, birdbrain22! A Red-necked should have the white at the front of the wing extending outwards in front of the secondary patch, and the white on the face wouldn't extend as far around on the nape.

[Liam]

And here we were stumped by these "ducks"

Nice call, BB22!

[folkeye]

So, horned grebes it is

Maybe get better pictures of some eventually. They like to hang far out of reach of a decent picture.