This morning, I drove Non Birding Bill into work (it was 6 degrees, I couldn’t let him stand at a bus stop). After I dropped him off, we took a two mile walk among all the skyways around Minneapolis. I kept half an eye out for zooming peregrines in downtown, but didn’t see any. On my way back home, I large dark bird burst from one of the neighborhoods and zipped in front of my car. Just as I thought to myself, “Wow, that’s a shallow wing beat…is that a peregrine?” the bird descended upon a KMart parking lot inciting a cloud burst of pigeons into the air–so cool! It banked and you could see the clear silhouette of a peregrine–so weird to see that in front a KMart logo.
So, when I came back from my trip to Indiana, I was sifting bleary eyed through my email and regular commenter HellZiggy took some photos of birds of California and wondered if I could confirm the id. I glanced at them and saw that one of the photos was a gull. I felt like Indiana Jones when he was looking for the Arc and discovered it was in a pit surrounded by snakes. “Gulls, why did it have to be gulls.” So, rather than me fumbling through and risking my poor gulling skills giving her incorrect info, I thought I would post the photos here–with my answers and those who live out west (or anywhere who can id these birds) can confirm or correct. Sound good? Here we go:
I’m saying double-crested cormorant on this one. That pouch under the bill looks like a double-crested.
I’m guessing western gull on this one, but really I’m not so sure on my gull id.
I’m guessing Anna’s hummingbird, but I live in the land of one hummingbird species that is only here for six months. Hummer experts–care to help?
Ack! A shorebird, I’m still working on that, but I’ll give it a go. Now, here is what is tough–there are no other shorebirds in the photo to compare it to as far as size and shape and it’s not a video, so we can’t use it’s behavior to narrow the field. I’m guessing that this is either a western sandpiper or sanderling. So, if I’m going to pinned down, I’m going to guess sanderling because I’m not seeing a hind toe and sanderlings don’t have a hind toe and westerns do. I tried doing a bill comparison, but honestly to my eyes, I just cannot see that much difference between a western’s bill and a sanderling bill. I leave that to the shorebird experts out there.
So, what do you think these birds are?
you are right on all the photos — good job! there might be a seat waiting for you on mourc.
I’m with you on the Double-crested Cormorant, the Western Gull, and the Sanderling. On the hummingbird I would lean toward Calliope due to the streaked gorget. Of course this could also simply be a molting Anna’s. Still, I don’t notice any rufous wash on the flanks, but as they are shadowed I can’t be completely certain.
Funny, I posted the same shorebird on my blog last January, but it doesn’t show any greater detail than this one, sorry.
Another waterbird that has adapted very well to city life is the black-crowned night heron.
how close did you get to that shorebird? Great pic.
I’m about useless when it comes to most birds west of the MS river.
Is it just me, or do you always find falcons on the K-Mart parking lot?
I seem to remember another post where you were finding some amazing bird in the parking lot….
I’m going to agree with you from here in LA on all counts.
Cormorant: Neither of the other CA cormorants (Pelagic or Brandt’s) have that yellow patch. Double-crested it is.
Gulls: I’m no good at gulls either, but that would be my guess as well.
Hummingbird: Anna’s are the most abundant hummingbird in most areas and times of year in CA, while Calliope are a rarer summer visitor, and the gorget pattern is good for a young male Anna’s. (It also looks bigger than a Calliope, and lacks the almost comically short bill.)
Shorebird: My gut said “sanderling” as soon as I saw the little guy — mostly the overall impression and the very pale (and gray, without any brown tones) color rather than details of the bill and feet.
Good job. Upper left coast here, and I agree with them all. The gull looks like it’s doing a prebasic molt, and female and immature Anna’s often have splotchy throats. I have them at my feeders as I type. Besides the toes, Western Sandpipers are just darker-looking,
Got to love parking lot birds–my best was a White-headed Woodpecker.
I just want to say I think you were insane to walk around in six degree weather. But that’s just me, and hopefully I was polite about it.
I have no idea about birds, but that gull looks like a California gull that has headshrunked.
kitmarlowescot2
That has it’s head shrunk.
Maybe it met the voodoo guy from Beetlejuice.
Sorry about that.
Kitmarlowescot2
Ichthyophile: I was using a 300mm lens. This was down near Venice Beach where the birds were used to there being a lot of people around so he actually came pretty close to me.
kitmarlowescot2: Ah, but Sharon said she the walk was among the skyways. Minneapolis has this wonderful skyway system where there’s a whole ‘nother city up on the second level with enclosed walkways crossing the streets. We can go from one end of downtown to the other without having to go outside! It’s fabulous!
~other Sharon
I am proof that everyone from novice to expert enjoys your blog. My answers would be something like, “cormorant, hummingbird, and some shore birds.” I’m impressed by the folks who knew the specifics, but I enjoyed the pictures as much as they did.
I’m sure the day will come when I will be frustrated because I couldn’t see a bird closely enough to specifically identify it. But for now I am quite content to say, “Wow! Did you see that warbler?” or “Look at all the seagulls.”
What do they usually say? location location location?
I would definately back Mike H here. Your IDs are correct.
The Cormorant is definately a DC
Western Gull (mantle is too dark for a California)
Anna’s because of location. Otherwise, Calliope is a possiblity. (although, this is certainly an Anna’s anyway)
For your shorebird, I was going to say BB Plover at first but then I caught the neck band and dark around the eye which makes it a Sanderling.
Happy Birding! –Chris W, WI
The SW WI birder
http://swallowtailedkite.blogspot.com/
Oh okay..my bad. Sorry about that Sharon. Thanks other Sharon. I know nothing about Minnesota. I thought she was literally outside. I didn’t know it was inside walkaway. I thought she was a few stories up walking around in six degree weather, taking bird photos. Nothing wrong with that acourse, but one doesn’t catch your literal death doing it either.
To my thing Virginia skin, 39 degrees is very cold
Thanks
kitmarlowescot2
That is suppose to be thin. My spelling is quite horrible.
IT said “calling all birders in the western us”, but I don’t suppose you are biased. Have just found your site, and enjoy it very much. Agree with the tags on the pictures!
I would love to send a picture from Spain of a bird we have not been able to identify. Would love some skilled birder eyes to take a look.
Is there a place to attach a photo?