Big Morongo, S Cal, USA end of April-2 (1 Viewer)

[njlarsen]

This was a little bird flitting around and not at all in good light. I feel it must be a Wrentit but this is not the most common bird there - Bushtit is a lot more common. And of course I can be completely off.
Niels

 

[njlarsen]

Second bird is a hummer that I did not see sitting so only flight images of questionable quality. Thank you in advance for any help.
Niels

 

[aeshna5]

Many years since I last saw a Bushtit, but I think it looks good for one.

 

[THE_FERN]

Many years since I last saw a Bushtit, but I think it looks good for one.

Difficult from these pictures but I agree it looks better for bushtit

 

[Andy Hurley]

The Hummer looks like it could be a Black-chinned female. Pale throat and chest, little or no reddish in tail, dullish green back. I have zero experience of SoCal, though and may be others could advise better than me.

 

[njlarsen]

Those bushtits I have seen in the past have not had the orangey color this one shows. The wrentits I have seen did show that color (e.g., File:Wrentit by NJLARSEN.JPG - BirdForum Opus).
Niels

 

[THE_FERN]

Those bushtits I have seen in the past have not had the orangey color this one shows. The wrentits I have seen did show that color (e.g., File:Wrentit by NJLARSEN.JPG - BirdForum Opus).
Niels

Well perhaps you're right. I noticed the bamboo stems are bright yellow and (for me) the yellowish/orange on the bird isn't uniform so I assumed it's reflected light

 

[connorco]

The small bird is 100% a bushtit. Wrentit are always going to have a pale eye, and they are structurally very different. It seems like Wrentit are much bigger (at least twice the size) when viewing them in the field just do to how small and thin bushtit are.

 

[njlarsen]

Strange thing is that female bushtit should also have pale eye and the images I have all show a dark eye. Bushtit it is.
thanks everyone!
Niels

 

[njlarsen]

I got a message from the ebird reviewer. A hummingbird expert had said the hummer in post 2 was a Costa's: "by shapes and patterns of rectrices, heavily worn plumage in April"
Niels