Steve, My understanding is David is saying that Dusky has the tips of the visible primaries (extending beyond the folded tertials) evenly spaced while Hammond's has those feathers unevenly spaced with

Claude, This is a Lincoln's Sparrow for the reasons already stated. I think it looks odd because of the strong contrast introduced by the black background, perhaps an "enhancement" introduced in post-

Erica, FWIW, here is a video with sound of a singing "female" plumaged Purple Finch I took in Pacifica back in May 2, 2020. I included notes suggesting it was probably an immature male. https://www.yo

Rusty, It takes male Purple Finches two years before they get color. I believe singing female Purple Finches are likely males. Also the "vireo song" is functionally a call IMO. I hear it a lot in the

wrote: California has 65 accepted records with several from the Bay Area. https://www.californiabirds.org/queryDatabase.asp?species=Bar-tailed+Godwit&accepted=on -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA

Steve, Could the bird in the fountain be a Western Tanager? Looks short-tailed with a pale stubby bill. wrote: -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA

Banded snowy plovers should be reported here: snpl_bandreporting@... -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA

This afternoon there were two CASSIN'S KINGBIRDS at the PG&E Tesla Substation at the east end of Patterson Pass Road. Photos: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/107733140 On Sat, 26 Feb 2022 18:

I suspect that this is the ISP (Invasive Spartina Project) spraying their favorite long lasting water soluble general herbicide, Imazapyr in an effort to eradicate hybrid Spartina from Arrowhead Marsh

Stopped by the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza this morning on my way home from errands and counted 58 BLACK SKIMMERS. They were on a flooded sand spit to the north. Distant photos: https://ebird.org/checklist/

Bird first seen at 4PM. Flew off to the east into the cove at 4:13PM and was not seen again today. Acting as the messenger. -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA

The checklist is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S97129650 This checklist actually claims three Tufted Titmice and three Blue Jays. Amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWwOJlOI1nU wrote: -- Jos

This morning, Tuesday 2 November, I stopped by the botanic garden hoping to photograph the Townsend's Solitaire. I parked by the west fence and set up a chair. After about five minutes the solitaire a

This is definitely wrong. Short-billed Dowitchers are decidedly rare inland in California at any season. They are fairly common in estuaries with tidal mudflat in migration. In winter they occur only

wrote: Check out this one: https://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/euwi.htm -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA

wrote: Same thing occurs with Eurasian Wigeon males which molt out of eclipse quite late in winter. So a bird with the head of a Eurasian Wigeon and a body of an American Wigeon is far more likely to

Singing male Black-chinned Sparrow still present this morning. Photos: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80290085 Dropped pin: https://goo.gl/maps/fDq5WQT8a6AquDNZ7 Also managed distant photos

Thanks for the tip. Several of us waited about two hours this morning (30 April 2021) before the Pileated Woodpecker finally appeared around 11:40am. Photos: https://ebird.org/checklist/S86746391?view

Jim, There is a direct correlation between reduced numbers of ducks and the discontinuing of the twice daily duck feedings at Lake Merritt a few years ago, due in part to some people’s complaints that

<compasros@...> wrote: Actually Purple Gallinule is accidental in California with only six accepted records mostly from Southern California. The only previous East Bay record is from October 1