Warbler Whoas

***ID`s updated after being confirmed by Dwayne...thanks!!

On September 20, 2012, after dropping my daughter off at the pool in Blenheim, I headed to the Lagoons.  I hadn`t been there for quite some time and was excited to see what was there.  There were a few species of ducks around with many individuals of each specie, but even with bins and camera, I have a hard time identifying them....that was the story for evening!  Outside of Canada Geese and the large amounts of Barn and Tree swallows, I couldn`t positively identify a single bird!  Talk about frustration!  Most of what I saw were warblers (or at least I think they are warblers...).  I got a few decent shots, but I find warblers confusing at the best of times and this is clearly fall.  So, at the risk of embarrassing myself, I will post some of the pics I got with my "best guess" as to the ID and my rationale...what I am hoping is one of you more experienced birders that drop by once in awhile can chime in and "teach" me a bit about warblers....here goes....

This next bird I have tentatively ID'd as a Yellow-Rumped Warber.  It has the yellow rump, yellow on the sides, a white-ish throat, and broken eye ring.  It is greener than the Cape May seems to be in field guides.

Confirmed Yellow-rumped Warbler

Confirmed Yellow-rumped Warbler

Confirmed Yellow-rumped Warbler

The next bird I have tentatively ID'd as a Palm Warlber.  The whitish eyebrow, whitish throat, and yellowish underparts make me think this is a Palm.  The fourth picture, assuming it is of the same specie, shows the bright yellow undertail coverts.  The fourth bird was in a different spot and the lighting was different.

Confirmed Palm Warbler

Confirmed Palm Warbler

Confirmed Palm Warbler

Confirmed Palm Warbler

Aside from Warbler Whoas, I also experienced difficulties with what appears to be shorebirds and a sparrow variety of some sort.  Here are those pics...

These birds appear to me to be shorebirds, based on their long necks and thick bodies.  These 5 were always together and always out of reach of my bins and camera...I haven't even attempted a guess at these guys!

Thanks for the ID Dwayne...Red-necked Phalarope

There was also this sparrow...I have ID'd this bird Song, Swamp and White-throated for one reason or another and ruled them out for one reason or another.  Sparrows are tricky...

Thanks for another ID Dwayne...Lincoln Sparrow

Lincoln Sparrow

Lincoln Sparrow

I have other pictures of other unknown birds from today, but I think you get the picture....it was a tough day for me ID wise, but it was great day to see lots of birds!  I will leave you with a couple pictures of one of the few I confidently ID'd this day...let's hope I got it right..due to the lighting, the brilliant blue got washed out, but I liked the pictures anyway.  Usually they are moving too quick for a decent shot.

Tree Swallows

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow

So, if you can help me figure out any of the birds I have tentatively ID'd, I would be very grateful :)  Leave me a comment or shoot me an email....

Erieau

This past Saturday, during one of my daughter's swim practices, my husband and I made a quick visit to the piers at Erieau, then we walked along the marsh trail just outside Erieau.  We saw some birds that I have seen before, like Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Herring Gulls, an Osprey with a fish in its talons (couldn't get a decent picture...the sun was in the wrong place), Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ring-billed Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants.  As usual, there were several birds that completly eluded me...not only do I not recoginize many songs and calls, but fall leaves crunch underfoot, drowning out the rustling about of little birds.  That said, I did see two life birds.... :)




Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher!! Life Bird!  Got to watch it eating a bug of some kind :)



Yellow-rumped Warbler...not a life bird, but first time I've seen one in this plumage.

I think this is a Bonaparte's Gull (life bird!!)...there were at least two flying around.  At first I thought it was a Black-headed Gull, but the bill on this bird is all black.  It has orange/red feet and one of them has a black tail band...reading about it, it seems that the one with the tail band is a juvenile.  As usual, if I have misidentified this bird, please let me know.

Yellow Rumped Warbler (Myrtle Warbler)

Point Pelee, May 8, 2011

I don't have a lot of photographed "first" birds left.  Not only is the first Yellow Rumped Warbler I have ever seen, it is the very first warbler I have ever seen!  I had heard of them but didn't understand the fascination in them until looked through a field guide recently...then I saw the incredible variety and was excited to go to Point Pelee and try my luck.  I saw this guy flying out of the corner of my eye when I was taking pictures of the Ruby Crowned Kinglet and was thrilled to discover that I got at least a somewhat decent photo of him, given the circumstances.  This makes bird specie number 27!