These images were taken yesterday (13 Nov 2012) at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge - on the Texas Gulf Coast. There are some freshwater ponds in the Refuge, but some of the water is brackish. I'm not sure about these ponds.
1 Sanderling?
2. I don't know
3. I don't know
4. Are the ducks marked correctly? I also see Greenwing Teal, White Ibis, American Avocet, Northern Shoveler (maybe) and American Wigeon (maybe)
5. Chipping Sparrow?
Patti
I'll leave the shorebirds and ducks to another, but yes that is a Chipping Sparrow. So that's where our little fellows went! :)
The black line going from the bill through the eye is a good identifier for the Chipping.
Thanks Chilly! And thanks for the ID tip. Much appreciated.
Patti
you Pintail looks like a Wood Duck Drake to me
Yes Northern Shoverler
behind the front row of ducks the fartherest out in water toward middle kind of looks like a Scaup hen(white around bill)
#1 - probably a Western Sandpiper - best to catch them with their bills out of the water if possible ;-)
#2 - Dunlin
#3 - Least Sandpiper
#4 - Mostly GW Teal; one Pintail, two Redhead (m & f), and in the front row, at least 2 Blue-w Teal (just right of the r.h. White Ibis) and at least 1 Shoveler (near-front far right).
#5 - ditto
Resin
Thanks Donna. I cropped in closer to the pintail - pin isn't developed yet, but you can see the white streaks on the head clearly. Not sure about which one might be scaup.
Resin, Thanks. I looked and don't have that bird with bill out of water. I was way off on 2 and 3. Shorebirds are still a mystery to me.
On the closer crop, is the one I marked the one you are calling the Redhead hen?
That brings up another question ... What is the duck in photos 2 and 3 here. Same duck flying and landing.
Yep, that's the female Redhead. The new ducks are Gadwall - the small white patch is a good pointer (though some diving ducks also have white wing patches too), and the males being mostly grey.
Resin
Okay! At least I got the flying Gadwall right. I mistakenly thought that the duck you have ID'd as the female Redhead was a Gadwall.
Thanks much, Resin!
Patti
