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Thread: Got a puzzler

  1. #1
    Eric Weaver
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    Default Got a puzzler

    Been beating myself up trying to beat these two into some species since Thursday. Can't do it. To me the bills are finch like, the rest sparrow like. They flew in together while I was concentrating on a female Belted Kingfisher. Then flew off together as well. At the time I thought they were female RWBB's as they were everywhere at the time. Didn't really put much effort into the pics. This was at a marsh in NE Indiana on a windy sunny at that time morning. About the only thing I did to the pics was to desaturate the yellows and oranges a bit as the sun was making them golden. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Curiosity is about to kill this old dog.




    now the one at the bottom close up after moving



  2. #2
    Eric Weaver
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    An added note. Don't have the pics to prove it but neither had the Song Sparrow patch on the chest.

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    Female or immature House Finches.

    I am glad to see a picture like mine on here.

  4. #4
    Eric Weaver
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    Not one of my better series by far. I just snapped a few quickies.

    I looked at the House Finches really hard and I have some right outside my window all the time. I really don't think that's what they are. I could very well be wrong though. Not the right body shape an markings weren't right.

  5. #5
    Eric Weaver
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    Went to a park tonight where there are maybe 100s of House Finches living off the feeders. Got some bad shots of them in bright sun although evening this time. Managed to get some of the same color aberration as I did on the morning ones. Could very well be House Finches but the body shape still seems to rotund and darkness on the first ones head don't match up. Probably just the lighting.

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    Eric what are the alternatives, buntings, grosbeaks or sparrows? This is based on the shape of the beak and the overall shape of the birds.

    Did you notice how variable the House Finches you saw are?

    I stand by my id.

    I hope others chime in and give us their opinions.

  7. #7
    Eric Weaver
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    Yes, I did pay lots of attention to that flock of house finches. Some of them did bulge out unlike my feeder birds. However out of the dozens if not hundreds I looked at none were nearly as pot bellied and sparrow like as the ones above. I realize that birds don't always look exactly alike. I do think, in my rather uneducated opinion that these are more than normally out of sync. I'm trying to learn, that's why I posted for opinions. My pics probably are House Finches. I'm not trying to argue about it. I was just saying they don't quite look right to me. Grosbeaks aren't even close and they don't quite fit any sparrows so that pretty much leaves House Finches or Purple Finches. Purple Finches would be way out of place right now. Leaving House Finches. Thanks for your input, it is appreciated.

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    Eric I do not think you are being argumentative. Your instincts are obviously good based on your Ash-throated Flycatcher thread.

    It would be nice to have some additional imput from the regulars on these threads.

  9. #9
    BPN Member Paul Lagasi's Avatar
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    If I were looking at the top image, without reading anything...my first instinct would be that they are finches, the large bill, shape and color, faint striping on the sides, white edges on the wings...all point to House Finches, Eric if you have a copy of the National Geographic Bird Guide..the image, it shows, is fairly spot on for a female.

    Having said I that, I am no pro..but I've also seen enough of these birds, there is no mistaking a finch...these may look a bit more potbellied but I think its due to the angle of the image

    Dickcissels, Blue Grosbeaks - immature (they lack the barring on the flanks), a California variet of Savannah Sparrow have fairly large bills but your photos really don't look like any of these....not sure if Blue Grosbeaks found in Indiana, I know the Dickcissel is...


    p.s - Rick you have images like this, really......ha, ha, ha, ha
    Last edited by Paul Lagasi; 08-08-2011 at 03:06 PM.

  10. #10
    Eric Weaver
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    Yep, have that book and they do show that, especially the dark head which was messing me up the most. I don't know how I missed it. I know I looked there. I think I've been looking at bird books too much lately. It's all messed up upstairs now. (normal)

    Thanks to all. I just wanted it to fit somewhere and I wasn't getting it. Now I need to dig out that one from last winter that has me baffled....

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    OK Paul as you have seen my images maybe mine are not quite this good.

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    The general morph looks a little more like a Purple Finch to me, but I wouldn't bet based on that view.

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