A Brit abroad

Quizbirds

Nick Moran, my globe-trotting birding pal, sent me these holiday snaps from his visit to the US last year, hoping that my 4 months' US birding experience would enable me to identify them - sadly he was wrong! Here are the mystery birds (click on thumbnails for larger image), along with the approximate date and place of each sighting and my thoughts on each photo. I'd be most interested to hear your opinions, especially if you disagree with mine!

Photo 1: Rail sp., Shark Valley NP, Florida Everglades, c22nd June 2003

Comments: On a combination of shape and range, this must be either King or Clapper Rail. It looks to me like it's not quite an adult (dark, fairly stubby bill) which complicates matters. The mantle streaking is quite bold though, which possibly favours King.

Photo 2: Flycatcher sp., Lake Okanagan, nr Kelowna, BC, Canada mid-July 2003

Comments: This photo had me mystified - the posture and head shape seem reminiscent of a Myiarchus flycatcher, but (a) the plumage features are wrong (should have a darker throat and more rufous in wings) and (b) there aren't any in that part of Canada! Hence it must be a funny-looking Empid. I think the indistinct eye-ring, plain brown back, contrasting white throat and geographical location all combine to make it Willow Flycatcher, but having seen neither Western race Willow nor Alder, I can't be sure...

Photos 3 and 4: Teal sp., Reiffel Refuge, Richmond (?) nr Vancouver, BC, Canada, late July 2003

Comments: This bird is a female-type Blue-winged or Cinnamon Teal. One thing that strikes me about this bird is its red eye - this is an obvious feature on Cinnamon Teal, but does Blue-winged have this too?

Also of interest, here's another of Nick's photos showing what at first sight looks like a Piping Plover, but in fact turns out to be a leucistic Semipalmated (note bill size and coloration)!

Posted by rjhall at May 20, 2004 6:08 PM