More LBJs - Pawnee NG and Salt Lake City area (1 Viewer)

[Semiramis]

Here are a few more from August / Sept 2017

Photo 5B is from the Bear River Bird Migration Refuge
The bird was feeding in a half dry marshy area (not grassland).

Photos 8A and 8B are Antelope Island State Park (September 15)
The wing bars appear to be off-white; maybe Dusky Flycatcher?

Photos 9 and 10 are from Pawnee National Grassland (CO).
Both Vesper Sparrow?

 

[AidenD]

#2 is Vesper while #5 is Savannah

 

[Microtus]

Semiramis, for what it's worth the photos that you post don't bear your designations. Am I correct in assuming that your 5B is #5 in the order I see them, your 8A and 8B are #3 and #4, and your 9 and 10 are #1 and #2?

Both birds in photo #1 look to be Vesper Sparrow. I agree with AidenD on #2 and #5.

 

[birdmeister]

Semiramis, for what it's worth the photos that you post don't bear your designations. Am I correct in assuming that your 5B is #5 in the order I see them, your 8A and 8B are #3 and #4, and your 9 and 10 are #1 and #2?

Both birds in photo #1 look to be Vesper Sparrow. I agree with AidenD on #2 and #5.

Agreed. I'm not venturing a guess on the Empidonax flycatcher.

 

[Semiramis]

Semiramis, for what it's worth the photos that you post don't bear your designations. Am I correct in assuming that your 5B is #5 in the order I see them, your 8A and 8B are #3 and #4, and your 9 and 10 are #1 and #2?

Both birds in photo #1 look to be Vesper Sparrow. I agree with AidenD on #2 and #5.

Thanks for pointing this out! If I open the photos in my browser in a separate window, the labeling (Photo 5B, etc.) is shown, but maybe this doesn"t work for everyone. Sorry! And yes, the order you mention is correct.

 

[tom baxter]

Semiramis, for what it's worth the photos that you post don't bear your designations. Am I correct in assuming that your 5B is #5 in the order I see them, your 8A and 8B are #3 and #4, and your 9 and 10 are #1 and #2?

Both birds in photo #1 look to be Vesper Sparrow. I agree with AidenD on #2 and #5.

In the first photo I think it's pretty safe to say the bird on the right is not a Vesper Sparrow. There is no apparent eye ring, I think its possible to say there is not enough streaking on the breast and flanks and the boldly contrasting malar stripe are all wrong for Vesper's. I find it to be a tough one but I think it is a Chipping Sparrow, the face pattern is pretty plain and if you look carefully at the nape it also appears to be gray.

Just a guess on the Flycatcher but with that deeply notched tail, I would lean towards Hammond's over Dusky Flycatcher.

 

[Microtus]

In the first photo I think it's pretty safe to say the bird on the right is not a Vesper Sparrow. There is no apparent eye ring, I think its possible to say there is not enough streaking on the breast and flanks and the boldly contrasting malar stripe are all wrong for Vesper's. I find it to be a tough one but I think it is a Chipping Sparrow, the face pattern is pretty plain and if you look carefully at the nape it also appears to be gray.

Just a guess on the Flycatcher but with that deeply notched tail, I would lean towards Hammond's over Dusky Flycatcher.

The bird on the right has chestnut coverts ("shoulder"), a unforked tail which has white edges, and no visible streaking on the flanks & belly. All of these features match the bird on the left, and the first two are Vesper and are not Chipping features. In addition, the facial pattern is a ghost-ish version of the facial pattern of the bird on the left.

 

[Microtus]

Thanks for pointing this out! If I open the photos in my browser in a separate window, the labeling (Photo 5B, etc.) is shown, but maybe this doesn"t work for everyone. Sorry! And yes, the order you mention is correct.

Thanks for the information about loading & labeling. |8)|

 

[tom baxter]

The bird on the right has chestnut coverts ("shoulder"), a unforked tail which has white edges, and no visible streaking on the flanks & belly. All of these features match the bird on the left, and the first two are Vesper and are not Chipping features. In addition, the facial pattern is a ghost-ish version of the facial pattern of the bird on the left.

Tough one here, but I admit you have helped me see it as a Vesper's and I am pretty sure that you are correct. I personally find it quite a stretch to see an unforked tail or white edges on the tail in the picture, but those features are extractable if you are already know it's a Vesper's. The coverts and face pattern do perfectly match the definite Vesper's on the left which I didn't notice at all at first and without direct comparison I don't think I would be able to get this one.

Also when I suggested chipping sparrow the biggest thing that bothered me was the GISS (General Impression Size Shape) of the bird which was not Chipping-like at all. It's hard to pin point, but to elaborate on this the bird looks too long tailed, the head depth is a bit wide and bill looks subtly wrong for chipping (very hard to put a finger on why but I felt that way all along which is why I said it was tough) and lastly the posture of the bird is not Chipping-like, it is upright and leggy looking. Not sure if any of this is accurately described but I'm trying to describe what subtly "looks" wrong for chipping and better for Vesper's.

I didn't look close enough. Thanks