Saturday, January 22, 2011

Bird Help?


While I was out visiting, my Mom was amazingly patient. She has no interest in birds, but she put up with my gawking and stopping at every moment to look for and at birds. She even enabled me by taking me out to a very cool place (pictures from there, soo).

But, I'm at sea with two birds I saw and took pictures of. The first, I have no clue whatsoever. When I look at the bird book and think I have a clue, then I realize the beak is all wrong (for a female tanager, for example). So, if you have ideas, please help.

Then there's this one. I think it's a Yellow-Rumped Warbler, but I'm just not sure. What do you think?

Here's another image from a different angle.

And another, a cute one, I think, because the bird seems to have noticed me noticing it. Unfortunately, it didn't come down to pose more near me.

(Pictures taken at San Juan Batista, CA, in cast that helps.)


****Edited to add: it's a California Towhee!****

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:23 AM

    I think the first one is a dickcissel. The second is a yellow rump.

    If you don't know GrrlScientist, she posts birdie pics like yours and has her readers guess them. I'm sure she'd love your pics. She's at the Guardian now.
    jc

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  2. Anonymous11:36 AM

    Agreed about the butter butt. Not sure about the first pic, though. I've never seen a dickcissel anywhere in California. Depending on the size, I'd say goldfinch. In winter, their gold often goes buff or even peachy.

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  3. I'm guessing the one on the palm is a yellow-rumped warbler. There are a couple pictures of one on this page. I'm not a birder, but the first one looks to me like some kind of house finch.

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  4. I think that "yellow-rumped" is a great name for any bird! Okay, that's no help with your identification project, I know, but I just had to chime in.

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  5. No idea what bird it is, but hte light in that first photos is gorgeous. Nice pic!

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  6. Speaking of birds, I came in one evening and a dove flew to my deck rail. He was cooing and was soon on my wrist and Karen brought me some fennel seeds. He ate his fill and left me amazed...I would guess he (or she) was raised tame and missed his home of the past...what a great experience..J

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