CLOSED: It's driving me crazy

I hope that you can tell what bird this is from this lousy picture. I saw it fly around the pond several times yesterday and wondered what it was. Today, it landed in front of me while I was eating my cereal. Didn't have my camera and its head was blocked by foliage, but saw its back clearly and as I thought, it was reddish/brown with no mottling or wingbars -- just smooth.

Yesterday, it's back seemed the same rust color as a Brown Thrasher that showed up after. Today, it seemed more subdued and yellowed in the morning sun. I was watching a nashville warbler right in front of me when this bird landed in the same foliage. it was bigger than the Nashville Warbler but smaller than a House Sparrow.

In this pic, it looks like a House Finch, but I don't think it is b/c of the solid rusty color on its back and head. Any ideas? It's driving me crazy.

Maybe female or juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird? But as you say, not the best of pics!!

Resin

Resin, thanks for trying. I think it was too small for a cowbird. It was the size and shape of a house finch. In fact, I think it probably was a house finch that just was a weird color. There's one house finch that is such a pale gray color that it almost looks white. Every time I see it, I think I'm seeing something new.

I'm keeping an eye peeled for it. Maybe it will turn up again and I can get a decent photo.

Any chance that this could have been a Veery? Can you rule it out?

Elphaba: It doesn't look like a Veery to me. My bird book describes a Veery as 7 inches in length with reddish-brown above, gray sides, buff on breast with light spotting.


My first thought was maybe a female House Finch: http://davesgarden.com/guides/birdfiles/showimage/4420/

But I think it's too large for a finch. I'm leaning towards a possible female, (but probably Juvenile) Brown-headed Cowbird: http://davesgarden.com/guides/birdfiles/go/6/

This is a photo I took last spring of a female Brown-headed Cowbird:

I would say no on Veery..not enough there (photo)...could have been a Pine Sisken also.

It indeed does resemble the Pine Siskin. Check out the photo Pelletory has in Bird Files: http://davesgarden.com/guides/birdfiles/go/25/

And, more images of the Pine Siskin: http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,18168,26637,26992,27095,27177,52736&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=pine+siskin&cp=7&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=Cr_ETJe5NYH-8Aau74TsBA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQsAQwAA&biw=1280&bih=701

I guess you're right about it not being a Veery. It was a small bird. I wish it were a Pine Siskin b/c that would be a new one. Not a good enough pic though. I saw the back of it several times and appeared solid rust colored with no markings and darker on the cap. Haven't seen it again since that day. I guess I should give up!

Thanks for your help though.

Plantladylin, I posted while you were posting. Looking at the pics in those links, if I saw a Pine Siskin, I would just think it was a House Finch. I've got to start paying closer attention to my house finches. Although I haven't seen very many of them the last couple of days.

Don't give up Elphaba ... keep watching, you may very well see one of them again, and will be able to get a few more pictures! Many birds are migrating south to warmer weather now .. I'm seeing the Common Grackle's and a couple of Brown-headed Cowbirds already.

I saw a new one (to me) this morning that I've never seen around these parts before ... and I didn't have my camera handy. :( The bird was way at the top of a tree for just a few minutes. It was a vivid orange/red color on top and creamy yellow underneath so I'm thinking it was a Tanager of some sort but I'm not real sure. I'm watching the trees and hoping to see another one to try to get a picture or two!

Hope you see it again. It sounds beautiful!

I keep coming back to this pic because it reminds me of a female Indigo Bunting. I guess you have probably seen those before and would know them. Just wanted to put my two cents in, though I am only occasionally right.

Gardenpom, you just might be right. I saw a bird today that might have been the same bird. Couldn't tell for sure. Got a couple of pictures. In the first pic, it looks to me like a female indigo bunting.

The second pic shows a reddish back similar to what I remember of my mystery bird.

I certainly see some blue in that one. It may be an immature male Indigo Bunting.

This message was edited Oct 28, 2010 8:19 PM

Yep, certainly Indigo Bunting for those two. Whether the original bird is the same, tough to say, but quite possible - maybe it should just be left as a UFO.

Resin

Sounds good to me. I'll go ahead and close this thread and try not to let this drive me crazy any more!