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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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  1. sharifaone

    Dusky/White-throated Flycatcher? Mexico City

    pbjosh, of course! I wouldn't have thought of it myself... but now looking at pics of immatures, that is it. And there were adult Vermillon Flycatchers in the area. Thanks so much!
  2. sharifaone

    Dusky/White-throated Flycatcher? Mexico City

    Got a couple of shots of a little flycatcher in a lake area near Mexico City. Unfortunately, I didn't hear any calls nor pay any attention to any tail-flicking direction. Ideas?
  3. sharifaone

    Savannah Sparrow? Northern California USA

    Yikes, I was way off! I was going through photos of sparrows and didn't even think outside of that category. Thanks for steering me in the right direction.
  4. sharifaone

    Savannah Sparrow? Northern California USA

    Hi all, Is this a Savannah Sparrow? It seems very boldly striped... but I can't figure out what else it could be. Both are pictures of the same bird. Thanks!
  5. sharifaone

    Calandra Lark? northern Iraq

    Thank you, AlinoVegano and Grahame, for your input confirming they're Calandra Larks. All the juvenile plumaged birds in this season make it tougher for me. Your replies are appreciated!
  6. sharifaone

    Calandra Lark? northern Iraq

    In the same location, saw this bird (one of a pair). In flight, wings were dark underneath and tail sides were white. Note hint of white trailing edge in folded wing. Note black patch on side of breast. White supercilium is stronger. I'm much more sure this is Calandra Lark... but...
  7. sharifaone

    Calandra Lark? northern Iraq

    Hi all, Is this Calandra Lark? Note fairly heavy bill, black patch on side of breast, and fairly short tail. In flight, I noted white sides to tail. Sorry, I didn't see the color of the underwings or note any trailing white on wing edges. I'm confused because the supercilium seems...
  8. sharifaone

    Lesser Whitethroat... or ssp. minula? northern Iraq

    No, sicklebill, I didn't hear it. In fact, I didn't even think to pay much attention to it until I went to enter my findings in eBird and realized that Desert Lesser Whitethroat was an option.
  9. sharifaone

    Call of melancholy night bird. Northern Iraq

    andyb39, yes! That's just what it sounded like! And looking at my Collins bird guide, it says Scops Owl is "easy to mimic"... so I guess we're lucky here. Thanks again.
  10. sharifaone

    Call of melancholy night bird. Northern Iraq

    I know it's a long shot, but anyone want to take a stab at IDing the bird I heard calling in the night in the hills of northern Iraq? Habitat: rolling hills covered by low oak trees and scrub, surrounded by mountain cliffs. I am attaching an audio file... not of the bird (it was too faint...
  11. sharifaone

    Lesser Whitethroat... or ssp. minula? northern Iraq

    While birding on the approaches to Iraq's highest mountain (Halgurd) 2 days ago, saw this bird and assumed it was Lesser Whitethroat (S. curruca). But now I realize I have more options to consider. The bird was above the treeline with just thorny bushes at approximately 2200 meters. The area...
  12. sharifaone

    Meadow or Tree Pipit? Northern Iraq

    Thank you, lou!
  13. sharifaone

    34 Kestrels... Lesser? Common? Northern Iraq

    Thanks for the feedback! Informative so far. Good to hear that it IS possible to have flocks of Common Kestrels at times, especially after storms and when there's food in an area. I just wish I had gotten a better look at and heard those 34 Kestrels. I don't remember hearing ANYTHING when...
  14. sharifaone

    34 Kestrels... Lesser? Common? Northern Iraq

    I spied a total of 34 Kestrels hovering and feeding over a field yesterday. Lots of insects were present, and it had been rather stormy and rainy earlier. About 2 km away is a known cliff face where both Common and Lesser Kestrels nest, and at which site I had just seen 4 Lesser Kestrels. I...
  15. sharifaone

    Meadow or Tree Pipit? Northern Iraq

    On a wire in some rolling hills, with water and shrub trees somewhat nearby, I spied this bird 2 days ago. The lighting was bad (backlit) and it was rather distant, but I was able to get some photos. I lean toward Tree Pipit because the flank streaks seem pretty thin, there seems to be a hint...
  16. sharifaone

    Raptor with pale belly, northern Iraq

    Thanks Nutcracker and aeshna5. I hadn't really considered Steppe Buzzard because they aren't around here during the winter, and I didn't think that they had started migrating here yet. But after you suggested Steppe Buzzard, I was able to Google various images that do include the pale belly...
  17. sharifaone

    Raptor with pale belly, northern Iraq

    Birding by a river early this morning revealed this fellow on a post. I'm confused by the patchy coloration. Especially noted are the pale belly, pale patch on breast, dark tail, and fairly pale head. Maybe a immature Booted Eagle??
  18. sharifaone

    Merlin on the ground? Northern Iraq

    Thanks for the confirmation, birdboybowley and SJC! A first for me in Iraq.
  19. sharifaone

    Merlin on the ground? Northern Iraq

    Spotted a falcon species perched on a mound in a field. Approximately Kestrel sized, but it didn't strike me as a Kestrel. My first thought was "juvenile Kestrel??" because it looked so different. I snapped 2 pics before the vehicle stopped moving, so the pics are just awful... but they do...
  20. sharifaone

    Pitta-ish, stubby bird with big black eye. Quintana Roo, Mexico

    I know that H and W is the best... but it was 50 bucks on Amazon. And for a short family holiday, I decided to put up with Van Perlo. If I lived in the region, I'd invest in the better book. Haven't yet checked out the second book... thanks for the recommendation!
  21. sharifaone

    Pitta-ish, stubby bird with big black eye. Quintana Roo, Mexico

    Oh, and literally, not half an hour ago I had written a note to myself about how very different the female Rose-throated Becard is from the male! Why I didn't recognize this one as the same is beyond me... except that perhaps its scrunched up posture made it seem short and stout. Well...
  22. sharifaone

    Imm. Altamira or Orange Oriole? Quint. Roo, Mexico

    What do I look for to distinguish Orange Oriole from immature Altamira? Both have similar features: orange mantles (greenish washed in female Orange/imm. Altamira) black faces white edges to primaries a white epaulet/wingbar respectively. Attached are the pics which sparked this question...
  23. sharifaone

    Pitta-ish, stubby bird with big black eye. Quintana Roo, Mexico

    I confess, I have NO idea what this bird is. I've looked through van Perlo at least 6 times, trying to pigeon-hole it ('scuse the pun!), but I am clearly missing something. All I can say is that it vaguely reminds me of a pitta in shape (not exactly, but that's the closest thing I can think...
  24. sharifaone

    "dark" Masked Tityra? Quintana Roo, Mexico

    Hi all, reviewing photos of birds seen in Mexico in December. Just wanted quick confirmation on this one. I'm assuming it's a Masked Tityra, just looking dark due to the shadows of the foliage. But I wanted to check that it couldn't be anything else before I label it as a Masked Tityra...
  25. sharifaone

    wet oriole? Quintana Roo, Mexico

    OK, I'll go with that. Thanks, Microtus!
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