ryanandrews's Favorites

Visually looks very good for Eastern Towhee, which would represent the first state record for California. However, the bird made some concerningly-Spotted-like calls. Some recording was obtained and will be analyzed by others. See eBird checklist for more information: https://ebird.org/checklist/S97223888

Found by Tim Swain, Max Leibowitz, and myself this morning in Jacumba, San Diego.

Hybrid Tyrannus savana x Tyrannus melancholicus. This is one of three (from a brood) that have been followed off and on over the last 20 months at this general location. This individual was determined to be male, based on morphology of outer primaries, visible in additional photos from this date on an eBird checklist.

Violaceous Quail-Dove. Photographed at Rancho Plastico, Darién Province, Panama on 24 February 2019. Another long-awaited new bird for me. Although this lovely quail-dove has a relatively large, though very fragmented, range it appears to be nowhere common. Perhaps the forests in this region offer the best opportunity to see this elusive forest dweller? Subspecies albiventer.

Mangrove Finch
Camarhynchus heliobates
one of the rarest birds in the world, less than 100 are thought to survive.

Black Turtle Beach
Isabela Island
AKA Albemarle Island
Galapagos Islands
Ecuador
8 July 2003

These same photos have been published in several Galapagos bird books, newsletters, and other publications about the Galapagos. More info on this bird may be found on my web site at:
http://www.greglasley.net/mangrovefinch.html
if interested.

Super rare hybrid which I couldn't even pull up to ID on here. These two species only breed in the same place along a small area of British Columbia. An incredible adult male. ID confirmed by expert birders.

Significant rarity for Imperial County, California, found floating at the west end of Sunbeam Lake in Seeley by Jay Keller and BJ Stacey on 7/29/17. A total of nine photos are included here that show the key features to separate this species from the far less likely Short-tailed Shearwater and Christmas Island Shearwater, including photos of the bill length with a ruler, underwing coloration and other features, as well as a location photo.

The bird was first observed floating upside down at the west terminus of Sunbeam Lake, Seeley, CA, when it was noted that the bird's coloration, tail length and beak structure/size eliminated more likely candidates of birds such as cormorants. Upon retrieval from the water, it became quite clear that this specimen represented a tubenose of the genus Ardenna, and careful observation and measurements ruled out other possibilities vs. Ardenna grisea, aka "Sooty Shearwater" including Ardenna tenuirostris aka "Short-tailed Shearwater" and Puffinus nativitatis aka "Christmas Island Shearwater". Note most importantly photo "G" which shows the bill length of this bird to be 45mm from tip of the premaxillary nail to proximal end of the culminicorn and 51mm from nail to the promximal terminus of the gape, which are measurements far exceeding the maximum for Short-tailed Shearwater per Pyle 2008. The underwing pattern (photo "B") eliminates Christmas Island Shearwater.

In can be reasonably postulated that this bird was carried northward from the Gulf of California following significant monsoonal flows.

Per Guy McCaskie, Ken Kurland was able to acquire the specimen for deposit into the San Diego Natural History Museum on 7/30/17.

Birder's Law of Observation: if a female, immature or otherwise less attractive individual of a species is present, it will give far better views. Conversely, the better looking bird will remain skittish and elusive at all times.

Broken rufous wing bar, bill's a bit large for an Indigo Bunting, song intermediate between Blue Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting -- I think this is a hybrid between the two. He's been around for three years in this location.

I got busted by a Supervisor at Best Buy just now. Not the best idea to whip out your cell camera and stand on a toilet in a stall - who knew? " Sir, gonna have to ask you to stop that." "But, look at this cool bug! Is it a moth? Is it a fly? Amazing!" " Please don't make me call Security."