ID-FRONTIERS for September 22-30, 2002

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Date   Time   Black Tern subspecies ID - more comaparisons   Martin Reid    Sun, 22 Sep 2002   11:33am   Photos of probable Florida Slatey-backed Gull   Angus Wilson    Sun, 22 Sep 2002   6:56pm   Re: Photos of probable Florida Slatey-backed Gull   Steven Mlodinow    Sun, 22 Sep 2002   8:24pm   spotted flycatcher   Colin Bradshaw    Mon, 23 Sep 2002   2:35am   Re: an unusual American Black Tern   Lethaby, Nick   Mon, 23 Sep 2002   6:06am   Archilochus hummingbird ID?   David Brinkman    Mon, 23 Sep 2002   12:18pm   Re: Archilochus hummingbird ID?   Allen Chartier    Mon, 23 Sep 2002   3:38pm   Re: Archilochus hummingbird ID?   Steve Leonard    Mon, 23 Sep 2002   5:32pm   Re: Archilochus hummingbird ID?   Chris Sloan    Mon, 23 Sep 2002   7:37pm   Hummingbirds   Josh Burns    Tue, 24 Sep 2002   4:54am   Identification of southern hemisphere seabirds   Angus Wilson    Wed, 25 Sep 2002   2:50pm   delicata Snipe variation and ID   Martin Reid    Wed, 25 Sep 2002   7:17pm   Re: Photos of probable Florida Slatey-backed Gull   Jack Dozier    Wed, 25 Sep 2002   11:34pm   The FL dark-backed gull   Martin Reid    Thu, 26 Sep 2002   3:43am   Juv. Varied Bunting   will russell    Sun, 29 Sep 2002   4:55pm   Thayer's Gull pics from Ohio (22 Nov 1996)   David Brinkman    Sun, 29 Sep 2002   7:55pm   Re: Mystery Gull - probably L.a.smithsonianus in Poland   Jacek Betleja    Mon, 30 Sep 2002   3:18am   Lark photo   Ian Paulsen    Mon, 30 Sep 2002   10:41pm

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Subject: Black Tern subspecies ID - more comaparisons
From: Martin Reid <upupa(AT)AIRMAIL.NET>
Date: 22 Sep 2002 11:33am

Dear All,
I've updated my recent page:
http://www.martinreid.com/blte.html
- with images of other niger and surinamensis; It looks like some niger can
have a limited and paler gray wash on the flanks - can anyone else confirm
this?
If this is true, and if surinamensis can have a niger-like head pattern,
then Id-ing these forms is not quite so straightforward as has been
claimed, perhaps.
Good birding,
Martin

Martin Reid
Fort Worth, Texas
mailto:upupa(AT)airmail.net
http://www.martinreid.com


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Subject: Photos of probable Florida Slatey-backed Gull
From: Angus Wilson <wilsoa02(AT)ENDEAVOR.MED.NYU.EDU>
Date: 22 Sep 2002 6:56pm

Hi everyone,

Fellow New Yorker Gerard Phillips asked me to post photos of a dark-mantled
gull that he and Mark Hedden found during a "migratory bird count" at Higgs
Beach, Key West Forida, USA this morning (September 21st 2002). They have
tentatively identified the bird as a Slatey-backed Gull, previously unrecorded
in the state. The shots can be viewed on Ocean Wanderers at:

http://www.oceanwanderers.com/FLSBGU.html

Gerard and Mark would appreciate specific comments on the identification and
ageing. One concern is hybrids. Ideally, commentary should be posted directly
to ID-Frontiers for the benefit of all, however, I will also forward messages
to the lucky observers. The page will be updated in due course.

Cheers,
Angus Wilson
New York City
http://www.oceanwanderers.com

Ps. Check out the new cover photo for Ocean Wanderers.

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Subject: Re: Photos of probable Florida Slatey-backed Gull
From: Steven Mlodinow <SGMlod(AT)AOL.COM>
Date: 22 Sep 2002 8:24pm

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Greetings All

I am not sure what the gull is, but I do have some concerns re: its ID as a
Slaty-backed. The gonydeal angle looks too prominent and the back too pale
(though the latter mark is very difficult to judge without other gulls for
comparison). Also, in adults anyway, a bird with so much head streaking
usually shows more of a dusky smudge about the eye.

I don't have time just now to surf this website, but the Ujihara's have a
wonderful Japanese gull website at the below address with many tasty SBGU
photos.

http://isweb15.infoseek.co.jp/animal/larus/gullidentifi_.htm

Cheers
SteveMlodinow

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Subject: spotted flycatcher
From: Colin Bradshaw <drcolin.bradshaw(AT)btinternet.com>
Date: 23 Sep 2002 2:35am

Pauls records are great. I think one of the problems with the Lesser
Whitethroat is that the taxonomy is evolving in a weay that mean he may need
to racially identify it. Blythii should be far and away the most likely and
that will [and probably always will] fall within the curraca group.

Separation of the quartet of long distace migrant Muscicapa is pretty easy
for people used to looking at Empidonax. There seems no chance from the
description that this was anything other than as ided.

Two refernces are

Bradshaw, Jepson & Lindsay. British Birds Vol 84 527-542

Altrom & Hirschfeld Birding World Vol 4 271-278


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Subject: Re: an unusual American Black Tern
From: "Lethaby, Nick" <nlethaby(AT)TI.COM>
Date: 23 Sep 2002 6:06am

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this format, some or all of this message may not be legible.

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About 3 years ago I saw a juv American Black Tern that had a long black line
going down the nape, so that feature may not be so unusual. I don't see many
A. Black Terns (just 1-3 year at best).

Since Eurasian Black Tern is more pelagic than White-winged Tern and 100x
commoner off the coast of NW Europe, I would expect there to be potentially
dozens occurring each year in the E. USA.

-----Original Message-----
From: Martin Reid [mailto:upupa(AT)AIRMAIL.NET]
Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 7:06 PM
To: BIRDWG01(AT)listserv.arizona.edu
Subject: [BIRDWG01] an unusual American Black Tern

Dear All,
I'd, be keen to read any comments on/corrections to this new web page:
http://www.martinreid.com/blte.html
- how unusual is this head pattern in surinamensis? - it seems to
contradict current ID thinking for separating the two forms of Black Tern.
Cheers,
Martin

Martin Reid
Fort Worth, Texas
upupa(AT)airmail.net
http://www.martinreid.com

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Subject: Archilochus hummingbird ID?
From: David Brinkman <david65bird77(AT)YAHOO.COM>
Date: 23 Sep 2002 12:18pm

Anyone have any tips on female and immature ID between
these two species of hummingbirds?

Archilochus colubris vs. A. alexandri

Are there any modern techniques to distinguish them in
the field?
With the increase of reports of western strays in the
eastern states in the fall, I am keeping my feeders up
in hopes of attracting a rarity Archilochus or
Selasphorus hummingbird this year.

Thanks,

David A. Brinkman
Cincinnati, OH

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Subject: Re: Archilochus hummingbird ID?
From: Allen Chartier <amazilia1(AT)COMCAST.NET>
Date: 23 Sep 2002 3:38pm

David,

I have a single photograph of an adult female Black-chinned Hummingbird on
my website
(http://www.amazilia.net/images/Birds/Hummingbirds/BlackchinHummingbird.htm)
taken in May 1984 in Arizona.

This single photo shows two helpful field ID characteristics; the short tail
barely extending beyond the wing tips, and the longer bill, sometimes even
appearing slightly decurved.

In addition, the 10th primary of Black-chinned is noticeably broader than
Ruby-throated, across all age and sex classes.  The wing tip appears much
blunter and rounder.  A slightly different angle on my photo would have
shown this character as well.

Other important field characters, as well as in-hand characters, are covered
quite well in Sheri Williamson's new Hummingbirds of North America field
guide in the Peterson series.

If you DO attract a Selasphorus or any other unusual hummingbird, please
don't hesitate to contact me!  I would be willing to come down and band your
bird (I have an Ohio permit for hummingbirds), and document it for the Ohio
records committee with in-hand measurements and photos.

Good luck!

Allen Chartier
amazilia1(AT)comcast.net
1442 West River Park Drive
Inkster, MI  48141
Website: http://www.amazilia.net
Michigan HummerNet: http://www.amazilia.net/MIHummerNet/index.htm


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Subject: Re: Archilochus hummingbird ID?
From: Steve Leonard <sw.leonard(AT)VERIZON.NET>
Date: 23 Sep 2002 5:32pm

An Essex County, Mass. birder, Phil Brown, has a Selasphorus coming to a
backyard feeder and has given me permission to post a link to some very nice
photos he has taken. The bird showed up yesterday 9/22 and was still present
today. I think that a notched tail feather is visible on a couple of photos,
but I have little experience with these guys.
http://www.nebirdsplus.com./hummingbird.htm
Steve Leonard
Malden, MA
sw.leonard(AT)verizon.net


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Subject: Re: Archilochus hummingbird ID?
From: Chris Sloan <chris.sloan(AT)COMCAST.NET>
Date: 23 Sep 2002 7:37pm

You can sex this bird as a hatching-year male based on two
characteristics visible in the photos.  First, the extent of the rufous
on the central rectrix is far greater than in a female Selasphorus.
Second, the irridescent area on the tips of the gorget feathers covers
the entire tip in a full semicircle, as opposed to female Selasphorus
where the irridescent area is more wedge-shaped and doesn't fill out the
entire tip.

I lean towards Rufous based on the very broad appearance of r1 and the
heavily-emarginated tip.  However, I believe that some Allen's can show
this feature to some extent on r1; thus, a clean few of r2 is still
needed, unless the bird starts to molt some orange feathers into its
mantle, which makes things a lot easier.

Chris Sloan
Nashville, TN

> -----Original Message-----
> From: NBHC ID-FRONTIERS Frontiers of Field Identification
> [mailto:BIRDWG01(AT)listserv.arizona.edu] On Behalf Of Steve Leonard
> Sent: Monday, September 23, 2002 7:33 PM
> To: BIRDWG01(AT)listserv.arizona.edu
> Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] Archilochus hummingbird ID?
>
>
> An Essex County, Mass. birder, Phil Brown, has a Selasphorus
> coming to a backyard feeder and has given me permission to
> post a link to some very nice photos he has taken. The bird
> showed up yesterday 9/22 and was still present today. I think
> that a notched tail feather is visible on a couple of photos,
> but I have little experience with these guys.
> http://www.nebirdsplus.com./hummingbird.htm
> Steve Leonard
>
> Malden, MA
> sw.leonard(AT)verizon.net
>


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Subject: Hummingbirds
From: Josh Burns <josh_a_burns(AT)YAHOO.COM>
Date: 24 Sep 2002 4:54am

I suggest that persons interested in hummingbird identification obtain
one or both of the excellent new photograph based guides to
hummingbirds.  I have used one of these this season in Arizona and have
found it sound and useful.  Both contain many photos of various ages
and plumages and have photos of hybrids.

They are both state of the art in identification points.

Josh Burns
Phoenix, Arizona

=====
Josh Burns                            josh_a_burns(AT)yahoo.com
Phoenix, AZ                           12S E407960m N3703387m
Sonoran Audubon Society               www.sonoranaudubon.org

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Subject: Identification of southern hemisphere seabirds
From: Angus Wilson <wilsoa02(AT)ENDEAVOR.MED.NYU.EDU>
Date: 25 Sep 2002 2:50pm

Earlier this summer, Alula Press released a stunning guide by Hadoram Shirihai
and Brett Jarrett to the identification of birds and marine mammals of
Antarctica, including the entire Southern Ocean. This is a 'must have' for
serious pelagic and whale watching enthusiasts. The guide also covers endemic
land birds to the subantarctic islands, including the Falkland Islands and
Chatham Islands.

Whilst the emphasis is heavily on field identification rather than biology or
behaviour, there is still a ton of additional information (history, geology
etc),
including tips on get to the harder locations. The sections on the Great
Albatross, smaller shearwaters and Catharacta skuas will be of special interest
to this audience given recent debates on ID-Frontiers. Northern hemisphere
seawatchers may also value the treatment on basic-plumaged and immature jaegers
which are less familiar but can occur.

I have posted a short review on Ocean Wanderers
(http://www.oceanwanderers.com/),
including some low resolution scans of superb plates by relative newcomer Brett
Jarrett.

At the moment the only way to get the book is through Aula (there is a link to
their web site) or by contacting some of the other virtual book stores run by
birding magazines. Hadoram Shirihai and Antero Topp tell me that Princeton
University Press is due to release the book in the US soon but were unsure when
exactly.

Cheers, Angus Wilson
New York City
http://www.oceanwanderers.com

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Subject: delicata Snipe variation and ID
From: Martin Reid <upupa(AT)AIRMAIL.NET>
Date: 25 Sep 2002 7:17pm

Dear All,
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) is now a full species once more, so we
are faced with the task of identifying them.  I plan to add more to my
previous web pages on this subject:
http://www.martinreid.com/snipe2.html
and the quiz at:
http://www.martinreid.com/snipe4.html
  - but for now I have added two more pages showing the presumed variation
in delicata:
http://www.martinreid.com/snipe6.html
and
http://www.martinreid.com/snipe7.html
With Snipe (birding) season now underway all across the Lower 48, I hope
there will be some lively and productive study and discussion of this matter!
Cheers,
Martin

Martin Reid
Fort Worth, Texas
mailto:upupa(AT)airmail.net
http://www.martinreid.com


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Subject: Re: Photos of probable Florida Slatey-backed Gull
From: Jack Dozier <jdozier(AT)NETTALLY.COM>
Date: 25 Sep 2002 11:34pm

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Subject: The FL dark-backed gull
From: Martin Reid <upupa(AT)AIRMAIL.NET>
Date: 26 Sep 2002 3:43am

Dear All,
The FL dark-backed gull: seems to have a good primary pattern for SBGU
(with strong white subterminal bands on outers) - but only P7 is
grown/visible, so its hard to be sure about the important P8.  The color of
the winter markings (brown with a hint of warmth) looks good, but the bill
is not classic (but no doubt within range). The head shape is good, too, in
that almost all relaxed SBGUS show a crown-peak over or slightly ahead of
the eye.  The shape of the bunched tertials, and the extent of their white
tips is classic SBGU, I feel.
The mantle appears to be close to the lightest end for SBGU but the shot
with the LAGU helps to show it is within range for SBGU.  The white tips to
the secondaries look rather thin - but assessment is compromised by the
molt and heavy wear on the remaining secondary feathers (the extent of
white on the one new, outermost secondary looks good, though).  The way
that the black on the outer vane of P6 and P7 is rather diffuse and blends
gradually into the gray is very good for SBGU - but it would help to see
the same effect on the still-growing P8-P10.  The paleness of the underside
of the primaries also looks very good for SBGU, and would be hard to
explain for a dark-backed x light-backed hybrid of some kind (the only
other possibility, I think).

All in all, it looks like an excellent candidate to me - but I'd like to
see those growing primaries....
Cheers,
Martin

Martin Reid
Fort Worth, Texas
mailto:upupa(AT)airmail.net
http://www.martinreid.com


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Subject: Juv. Varied Bunting
From: will russell <russellbw(AT)EARTHLINK.NET>
Date: 29 Sep 2002 4:55pm

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In his Identification Guide to North American Birds, Peter Pyle writes =
that juv. Varied Bunting is like HY/SY female with the addition of a =
buffy wingbar.  This suggests he considers juv. Varied to be ventrally =
unstreaked.

While helping 9/22 with a banding session in Florida Canyon, Santa Rita =
Mtns, Arizona, several Juv. Varied Buntings with conspicuously ventral =
streaking were caught. Several other juv. Varieds had little or no =
ventral streaking. All were in active body molt.

The above molt may have been presupplemental but since Pyle suggests =
that not all juv Varieds have such a molt, it seems possible for a =
streaked juv. Varied Bunting to show up out-of-range. Such a bird, =
brown, showing ventral streaking and at least one well-defined buffy =
wingbar, might easily be passed off as an Indigo Bunting.  The  markedly =
arched culmen remains a species-specific difference.

Will Russell
russellbw(AT)earthlink.net

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Subject: Thayer's Gull pics from Ohio (22 Nov 1996)
From: David Brinkman <david65bird77(AT)YAHOO.COM>
Date: 29 Sep 2002 7:55pm

These may be of interest to any serious gull watcher.

Enjoy.

http://photos.yahoo.com/david65bird77

David A. Brinkman
Cincinnati, OH

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Subject: Re: Mystery Gull - probably L.a.smithsonianus in
         Poland
From: Jacek Betleja <betleja(AT)URANOS.CTO.US.EDU.PL>
Date: 30 Sep 2002 3:18am

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Hi all,
Thanks a lot for all persons who send directly to me or via e-mail
discussion list comments about mystery gull presented 10 days ago in web
site http://www.czaplon.most.org.pl/g.htm

However the answers were a little different:
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus (without subspecies) - 2 suggestions
Herring Gull Larus argentatus argentatus - 7 votes
Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)  - 1 vote
and no one as Larus argentatus smithsonianus.

After these comments I'm sure that this bird belong to Herring Gull Larus
argentatus argentatus species, commonest gull at Polish Baltic coast.

Next mystery gull from Poland will be presented in close future in Czaplon
web site
http://www.czaplon.most.org.pl

Good birding

-------------------------------------------------------
Jacek Betleja
Dept of Natural History, Upper Silesian Museum
pl. Sobieskiego 2, 41-902 Bytom, POLAND
e-mail: betleja(AT)us.edu.pl
-------------------------------------------------------
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Subject: Lark photo
From: Ian Paulsen <ipaulsen(AT)KRL.ORG>
Date: 30 Sep 2002 10:41pm

HI ALL:
 Any comments??

Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
ipaulsen(AT)krl.org
A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
"Rallidae all the way"

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 21:22:05 -0700
From: Mike Patterson <celata(AT)pacifier.com>
To: Greg Gillson <greg(AT)thebirdguide.com>, tweeters <tweeters(AT)u.washington.edu>
Cc: Obol <obol(AT)lists.orst.edu>
Subject: Re: Photo ID help

If you blow up the first picture and look at the claw on
the hind toe...

I think this is a hatch-year Horned Lark.

It is not any kind of bunting, I suppose it could be some
sort of weird asian lark (I don't have a good asian field guide)

Greg Gillson wrote:
>
> Troy Guy was at sea off Washington State when this bird he couldn't identify
> flew aboard. My wild guess is some kind of Asian bunting. Anyone else want
> to venture a guess and notify the Washington Records Committee (perhaps by
> means of forwarding this message to Tweeters for me?) Thanks.
>
> http://thebirdguide.com/temp_images/Dscn1924.jpg
> http://thebirdguide.com/temp_images/Dscn1922.jpg
> http://thebirdguide.com/temp_images/Dscn1923.jpg
>
> Greg Gillson
> Cornelius, Oregon
> greg(AT)thebirdguide.com
> http://thebirdguide.com

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata(AT)pacifier.com

A child who becomes acquainted with the birds about him
hears every sound and puzzles out its meaning with a cleverness
that amazes those with ears who hear not.

                                               -Neltje Blanchan

http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html