CLOSED: Last of the lower Rio Grande Valley -Sandpipers and plovers?

#1 Lesser Sandpiper?

#2 Western Sandpiper? looks like it has a slight curve on the end of the bill

#3 ? I originally thought a tern but the wings aren't right

#4 First guess is a Willet

#5 two unknowns here - left the black skimmer in for scale

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10 Song or Savannah Sparrow?

#10

#1 - Spotted Sandpiper, winter plumage

#2 - tricky; likely Western Sandp., but can't rule out Least on this pic

#3 - Black-crowned Night Heron

#4 - yep, Willet

#5 - Grey Plover a.k.a. Black-bellied Plover (right), Dunlin (lower left)

#6 - Grey Plover a.k.a. Black-bellied Plover

#7 - could be American Golden Plover, but not 100% sure

#8 - Solitary Sandpiper

#9 - Spotted Sandpiper, winter plumage

#10 - Savannah Sparrow

#10 [part 2] Song Sparrow

Resin

Agree with Resin all the way...a word of advice for budding birders:

DON"T start with Sandpipers and/or Sparrows. You'll quit, sell your binocs on ebay and take up something easier like brain surgery or rocket science. Begin with Egrets/Herons, adult male Ducks and Ibises.

Thanks Resin and Ned. I would agree Ned - I didn't know what I was in for until I got the book out and tried assigning them. Luckily, good cameras and the internet make the job alot easier.

And if you want something more challenging, then try Empidonax flycatchers (in N America) or Acrocephalus warblers (in Europe / Asia).

Or there's always crossbills . . . are there 3 species or 30 – even the top experts haven't managed to come to any conclusions on that yet ;-)

Resin