Friday, January 14, 2011

Mystery Bird ID Quiz #8 Details


As promised, here are a few more details on the Mystery Bird Quiz #8 bird. This image was taken in early August in Pawnee Grasslands in Colorado.

So I believe we can rule out male northern cardinal as a potential answer. It's also probably not an eastern wood warbler. Or an anhinga.

Here is shot of the habitat where I took the image. What a day that was. Out in the great wide open, nothing but land, sky, clouds, birds, a few pronghorn antelope, some distant cattle, and a windmill here and there. What a lark!

Staring at this scene, I found myself singing that Jackson Browne song:

When we come to the place where the road and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide.


Maybe it's being an Iowa-born native that allows me to feel so relaxed and happy in the big-sky places...

Good luck with your guessing, birdheads!
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10 comments:

  1. Janet Creamer MartinJanuary 14, 2011 at 7:44 AM

    I am guessing a juvenile Brewer's Sparrow.

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  2. DonnetteJanuary 14, 2011 at 9:31 AM

    Not too good on Sparrows, but my guess is a female or winter Lark Bunting.

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  3. Julie ZickefooseJanuary 14, 2011 at 10:35 AM

    I guess I'm disqualified from guessing by having participated in an obsessive chase for this species all through w. ND and eastern MT. So its tiniest feature is burned into my brain. As is its song!

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  4. AnonymousJanuary 14, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    Great Book, Bill. I'm an author of sports instructional books and I love your color pictures. You printed in China and I would like to know the contact information of the printing company and any contact persons you used so I may get color printing done as well. Please reply to me at vics@netzero.com My name is Vic LeMire and I thank you in advance.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Janet Creamer MartinJanuary 14, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    How about Baird's Sparrow?

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  6. UnknownJanuary 14, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    Based on Julie's comment, I'm gonna guess McCown's Longspur. I am a long day's drive from this area, and have been there briefly looking, unsuccessfully for them, but I know they are found there in good numbers.

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  7. Teresa MichelsenJanuary 14, 2011 at 4:20 PM

    Juvenile skylark. Just a guess :)

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  8. AnonymousJanuary 14, 2011 at 4:44 PM

    female Lark Bunting

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  9. HallieJanuary 15, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    Juvenile Sage Sparrow?

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  10. Laura DornanJanuary 16, 2011 at 1:28 PM

    Are you making this easy by giving us a clue? I am thinking a juvenile Lark Sparrow

    ReplyDelete