GAME: name that bird!

[mvecht]

@@offshorebirder

 

I have never been good at identifying Gulls but how about juvenile Herring Gull?

[offshorebirder]

I am afraid not, @@mvecht - not a Herring Gull.

[Geoff]

Iceland Gull?

[offshorebirder]

Just so, @@Geoff - a 1st-cycle Kumlien's Iceland Gull.

 

Over to you.

[Geoff]

Next...

[Soukous]

how about a white rumped sandpiper?

[Geoff]

No, but you're on the right track.

[Soukous]

one more go, then it's back to work

 

curlew sandpiper

[Geoff]

No, the bill is all wrong for Curlew Sandpiper.

[lmSA84]

I'm not normally patient enough to identify the Sandpiper's accurately but I'll give it ago.....Sharp-tailed Sandpiper?

[inyathi]

It could well be sharp-tailed but I'm going to go for pectoral sandpiper.

[Geoff]

No, not a Pectoral sandpiper.

[lmSA84]

@@Geoff - my guess was on the previous page - is it a sharp-tailed sandpiper?

[Geoff]

@@lmSA84 My apologies. I didn't see your post.

 

Yep, Sharp-tailed sandpiper. Not sure, but with a rufous cap like that I suspect that it is a juvenile.

 

Your turn to post an image.

[offshorebirder]

@@inyathi - the breast streaking was not dense enough, and the demarcation with the unmarked belly not abrupt enough, for a Pectoral Sandpiper. And the reddish cap is too strong, and not streaky enough for a Pec.

 

As @@Geoff says, the red cap indicates immature Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, as does the pale buffy wash on lightly streaked breast. But on this individual, the buffy wash is almost nonexistent.

Edited November 5, 2015 by offshorebirder

[lmSA84]

@@offshorebirder - that is incredible knowledge! I enjoy birding but I struggle with those types of finer details. That's why I often try to photograph the shore birds so I can identify them later.

 

Here's my offering. It might be a bit simple and I hope it isn't a duplicate - I can't profess to have read all 63 pages.

 

Edited November 5, 2015 by lmSA84

[Geoff]

Is anyone going to have a stab at this?

[offshorebirder]

Sorry - I did some quick research and neither possibility I had in mind panned out...

[lmSA84]

Apologies - retrospectively this wasn't a great choice.

 

To narrow it down - it's distribution is in the Southern Caribbean and this bird could be said to enjoy lonely card games

[inyathi]

@@lmSA84 No need to apologies that was a great choice, I didn't have a clue when I first looked, I hadn't got round to seriously thinking about it but I can confidently say that even if I had I don't think I would have got it at all without your clue but then I have never been to the Caribbean. The great thing when someone posts a nice hard one is that it gives everyone a chance to have a look at it before anyone answers, when someone posts a quite easy one I often find that it has already been identified before I'd even noticed that a new photo had been posted.

 

Your bird is a Rufous-throated Solitaire Myadestes genibarbis

 

[lmSA84]

@@inyathi - thanks, I'm not sure that I have many harder then this but you make a good point. It's always good to have ones that make you think.

 

You're absolutely right! It is a Rufous-throated Solitaire.

 

This image was taken on a recent trip to St Lucia. Nikon 80-400MM - 400MM, ISO 800, f5.6, 1/250

[inyathi]

After the challenge of identifying a bird the next challenge is deciding what to post next and that isn't always easy, I won't say if this next one is a hard one or an easy one because I'm usually wrong I'll just say can anyone identify this beauty?

 

 

Edited April 14, 2019 by inyathi

[kittykat23uk]

Silver breasted broadbill?

[ovenbird]

A female with her pearl necklace!

[inyathi]

Yes it is a female silver-breasted broadbill in Kaeng Krachan NP Thailand

 

Well that only took about an hour 20 minutes to get an answer which kind of illustrates my earlier point, it is a pretty distinctive bird so anyone familiar with Asian birds wouldn’t have found it that difficult but for anyone who’s not been to Asia it might not have been so easy. If I’ve posted a correct answer I like to try and post a new one quite quickly so I don’t forget or find I’m then too busy and don’t get round to it this means that instead of going through all of my birds and uploading something new I often think I’ll just post something I’ve already uploaded. In future I will have to think about it a little bit longer and go for something just slightly harder, I think I wanted to post that one just because it’s such a beautiful bird.

 

@@ovenbird I knew that you would get this one, when I posted it I thought, I’m sure someone has posted a shot or two of this bird on ST before, after a quick search I found your photos, knowing that I probably should have changed my mind and gone for something else. The problem with posting ones I know will be really hard, as opposed to ones I think will be hard but usually aren’t, is that I always worry that then no one will answer and also I don’t have a limitless supply.

 

When my turn comes around again, I’ll pick something a lot less distinctive and find something that takes at least a little bit longer than an hour and 20mins, over to you @@kittykat23uk

Edited April 14, 2019 by inyathi