Shorebirds loafing at Doran Regional Park in Bodega Bay, quiz

Bird Quiz #3: Loafing Shorebirds

Earlier this May at Doran Regional Park, we enjoyed a variety of shorebirds in various stages of transition to breeding plumage. We watched them for over an hour as they foraged, rested, flushed from dogs, preened, scratched their faces, relocated, and loafed some more.
 
It was fun and challenging to pick apart the various species as they idled about, particularly when their bills were tucked away. So, we put together this quiz of mystery loafers! Continue reading “Bird Quiz #3: Loafing Shorebirds”

ebird photo quiz

In Praise of the eBird Quiz

We’re bird quiz-aholics. If there’s a bird quiz online, chances are we’ve taken it. We pore through bird photo Flickr pages and cover up species names to quiz ourselves. On our laptop, you’ll find folders labeled “Wren Calls” and “Warbler Chips,” from which we frequently pop-quiz each other.

Say, which wren’s scold is this?

Okay, is this a Hermit or Black-throated Gray chip note?

Continue reading “In Praise of the eBird Quiz”

Bird Quiz #2: Ruby-crowned Kinglet vs. Hutton’s Vireo

In our previous post, ID Study: Ruby-crowned Kinglet vs. Hutton’s Vireo, we discussed the identification challenge of these two superficially similar species. We reviewed several field marks to look for to help with the ID.
 
Now, onto the fun part! Let’s put what we learned into practice with our Bird Quiz #2: Ruby-crowned Kinglet vs. Hutton’s Vireo! Continue reading “Bird Quiz #2: Ruby-crowned Kinglet vs. Hutton’s Vireo”

Ruby-crowned Kinglet vs. Hutton’s Vireo

Click here for part two of this post – “Bird Quiz #2: Ruby-crowned Kinglet vs. Hutton’s Vireo” – where you can put the pointers below to the test!


Ahh, winter is here! The air is crisp, the day is short, and the rain is coming down. But rain isn’t the only thing dripping from the trees this season – Ruby-crowned Kinglets have invaded Sonoma County! Continue reading “Ruby-crowned Kinglet vs. Hutton’s Vireo”