[EBB Sightings] ID help needed - Lake Merritt and Coyote Hills

Brian, the 2nd Goldeneye is also a common. the 45
degree angle sloping forehead joining with a longish
bill are indicative.  The Barrow's would have a much
steeper forehead angle to the bill and the bill would
be stubbier. The lack of any yellow in the bill may or
may not indicate a juvenile male.

The Grebe is an Eared Grebe.  The Eared Grebe has the
muddy face, or splotchy undefined gray extending into
the cheek area.  The horned has that really nice clean
delineation between the dark cap down to the eyeline
and the bright white lower face.  
There are a few other fieldmarks to look for, but
that's the "cliff notes" version.

The raptor is a darkish morph juvenile Red-tailed
Hawk. Beautiful picture.  The only (one of the only?)
morphs of Red-tail where the  diagnostic dark
patagials disappear. Buteo  shape to wings and body,
Bright white wing panels near the first 3 primaries,
thin but noticable bands throughout the flight
feathers and the tail.

Thanks for sharing.

Bob Power
Oakland, CA


--- Brian Zeiler  wrote:

> Went to Lake Merritt early this afternoon in
> horrendous lighting and then went to Coyote Hills in
> moderately better lighting.  At Lake Merritt, aside
> from the usual suspects, I saw several groups of
> COMMON GOLDENEYES as well as EARED (I think) GREBES.
> 
> If you go to http://www.pbase.com/zeiler/new the
> first
> five photos are from Lake Merritt.  I had trouble
> ID'ing a few.  The first one was associating
> (seemingly) with the Goldeneyes, but it looked
> different from what I saw and what's in Sibley.
> 
> The last three photos are from Coyote Hills.  I'm
> having trouble ID'ing the large raptor.  Looks like
> a
> dark morph of something.  Aside from those, I didn't
> see anything unusual.  The female HARRIER was doing
> her rounds.  I saw four KITES, one GREAT BLUE HERON,
> two SNOWY EGRETS, three GREAT EGRETS, one MOORHEN,
> several PIED-BILLED and EARED GREBES, and of course
> countless mallards, gulls, geese, and coots.
> 
> Finally, I'm really digging these interesting duck
> types... if anybody knows of a great spot closer to
> Dublin for goldeneyes, mergansers, grebes, etc.,
> please let me know!
> 
> Thanks for any ID help.
> 
> Brian
> Dublin CA
> 
> 
> 		
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