Red-winged Blackbird - This guy should not have any trouble getting a mate, his shoulder patches were super bright and big.
They were taking a big breath of air to inflate their size and while doing their call the shoulder patches which are usually mostly hidden on a perched RWBB would flare up and out. Gorgeous.
The middle of the day was family time with a great brunch at Jester's Cafe downtown, yum! In the afternoon I made trips to my usual spots at Airlie Gardens and Oleander Gardens and brief jaunt to the beach only to get blasted by flying sand.
At Airlie the Winter Wren that has been around on the East Side of the North Pond finally presented himself for my camera. Victory! This species is not easy to see let alone photograph. Next up will be his even more skulky friend the Sedge Wren.
Hermit Thrush - Already photographed one of these but this one was so nice I had to add him. Nice rufous tail which is diagnostic for this winter thrush.
Winter Wren - I have been hunting this skulker 4-5 times at Airlie, frequently hearing him or catching a quick glimpse, but this time he sat and posed for me. Tiny wren with distinctive rattle call and tiny up turned tail.
"Here is my left side side."
"Now back to my right."
Also at Airlie, a very peppy Ruby-crowned Kinglet was jumping all over around me very close but he/she would not sit still. Got a couple poor recording shots.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet. The ruby crown is usually only visible on an agitated male. This one was not agitated in the least, hopping around me and feeding off the bushes paying me no heed but also not staying still for the camera. He/she was undoubtedly trying to make the best of the fading light. Its not easy to fill up when the things you are feeding on are practically microscopic. Looked like maybe aphids or something.
Lastly I was able to get some shots of some scaup which I finally decided were in fact Greater Scaup although I invite dissenters. They were slightly smaller than the Gadwall and Wigeons but not small enough to be Lesser Scaup. The heads were fairly rounded, the bills heavy with a wide nail and they just had the "jizz" of a Greater. In one pic they appeared to have a peaked back of head but it was due to the wind coming from behind. When they headed into the wind they definitely had a very rounded profile.
Greater Scaup and Gadwall - note only slightly smaller than the Gadwall. About two inches difference per Sibley's. Lesser Scaup would have been a good 4 inches shorter head to tail.
Greater Scaup and American Wigeon.
Here you can see the wind blowing feathers and back of head which made me do a double take as the back of a Lesser Scaup's is peaked.
However, when the birds turned around the heads appeared perfectly rounded like a proper Greater. Also the bill is fairly big and stout and flanks very white with less barring then expected for a Lesser.
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