Souther California IDs? (1 Viewer)

[vbnut]

Southern California IDs?

I took these photos on the 3rd of May (2013) at Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve in Huntington Beach, California. This first, taken in the early morning,
is some kind of tern, but I'm not sure which variety.

The rest of the photos were taken in the late afternoon

The second looks like some kind of Grebe, but I've never seen one with these pale colors. Could it possibly be a molting Horned Grebe?

The rest are shorebirds, and, except for a few distinctive ones, I usually struggle with identification of them.

Any help identifying these will be gratefully accepted.

 

[lou salomon]

1. has me stumped at the beginning. loral wedge slightly bulging http://www.birdcapemay.org/blog/uploaded_images/CommonForstersTerns1aPX072509P1050035-732199.jpg and bill looks thick but also very pointed. probably it is a 2cy forster's with well developed cap and small amount of black on bill. hard to tell anything about the shades of grey on primaries..streamers look extremely short though...
2. horned, transitional plumage
3.dunlin
4.+5. two nice (distinctive) western willets.

 

[emupilot]

1. has me stumped at the beginning. loral wedge slightly bulging http://www.birdcapemay.org/blog/uploaded_images/CommonForstersTerns1aPX072509P1050035-732199.jpg and bill looks thick but also very pointed. probably it is a 2cy forster's with well developed cap and small amount of black on bill. hard to tell anything about the shades of grey on primaries..streamers look extremely short though...
2. horned, transitional plumage
3.dunlin
4.+5. two nice (distinctive) western willets.

I agree with 2-5. #1 is indeed very confusing, but I think the shape of the bill (if not the color) would narrow it down to Forster's or Common. Forster's would be the default, but that doesn't explain the bill color or short tail.

 

[stonechat1]

[...] Forster's would be the default, but that doesn't explain the bill color or short tail.

I don´t see much of a short tail? Most feathers are missing or in a early growing stage. No idea what happened to the bird that it lost all tail feathers.