[Turtle]

___I looked them over C1ay & I simply must snap a photo while the bird is perched with its back facing me. Most of the photos from your links show that view, wherein the white wing bars show clearly.
___I am fairly new to birding, but I already sense there is nothing quite like a photo of your own to back up one's claims on a list. Having your own photo(s) also allows some leisure in studying the bird's markings as well as identifying individuals. In my last house I came to readily recognize an individual Scrub Jay by its blinded right eye I saw first in a photo.
___By the by C1ay, do you think I have properly identified the bird in my photo?

[C1ay]

Originally Posted by Turtle

___By the by C1ay, do you think I have properly identified the bird in my photo?

My opinion would only be a guess. Your photo is awfully similar to this one.

[Turtle]

___Very similar; including a wisp of a crest. The same I think too. There is no species ID on the photo however; what is the bird's name?

[Turtle]

___This is a temporary post, but I wanted to share this photo. I took my video camera down a trail I found on the bluff in hopes of sighting some birds; instead I chanced upon another creature foraging along the stream bank around 1:30 PM. A raccoon.

[C1ay]

Originally Posted by Turtle

___Very similar; including a wisp of a crest. The same I think too. There is no species ID on the photo however; what is the bird's name?

It's a pic of Empidonax hammondii, Hammond's Flycatcher. Quite often you can find more species images in Google by searching the latin description as well.

[Tormod]

Beautfil shots, Turtle. Thanks for sharing!

[infamous]

Originally Posted by Turtle

___This is a temporary post, but I wanted to share this photo. I took my video camera down a trail I found on the bluff in hopes of sighting some birds; instead I chanced upon this creature foraging along the stream bank around 1:30 PM.

From the expression on this little guys face, it looks to me like he's thinking "so your the new guy in town. How long will you be staying in my territory?"

[Turtle]

___I have spotted a couple new birds on the bluff, although I have no photos yet. In the Maple just out the window yesterday, a Rufous-Sided Towhee & 2 days before that in the same tree, some kind of Grossbeak. The Grossbeak didn't hang around long enough for me to ID it.
___As I pursue more interest in this topic, I note considrable difference in descriptions/photos of the different authoritative sources. I have in mind particulary the Hammond's Flycatcher which I photographed & identified; none of the sources mention the "crest" or "tuft" on the bird's head as an identifying mark, despite the photos clearly showing it. I know, that's what a field notebook is for.
___Now the visual ID aside, how the heck do I interpret "too-weet-too-weet...whipoo snicka-snicka-snicka" So Ok, I made that up. Still, it's no easy task identifying the calls from text I'll say!
___Feel free to post up your own bird encounters of the close kind.

[Turtle]

___I taped some good shots of the little ground bird but no ID yet until I review.
___Tonight, I put a light outside shining on the ground & forest to see what bugs & night creatures I might tape in infrared. Guess who came to call? That's right; Rocky Racoon!
___I'm off to catch more.

PS I taped over the snake I chanced to tape today (NW Garter, red stripe) as it wasn't sharp enough to take a still.

[Turtle]

___I have identified the little bird on the ground as a Bewick's Wren after several days efforts video taping a small patch on the ground. So far, the shots suffice for identification but nothing I'm satisfied well enough with to post up in the Science Gallery.
___Tomorrow I plan to put the camera right out on the ground just feet from the little birds trail rather than yards. Skittish little bird, it is very fond of its white tipped long tail which it bobs upright behind its head.
___What's in your yard?