I may actually have seen my first red-shouldered hawk! I jumped the gun and posted on here that I thought I had once, but decided it was two red-tails and Merlin SoundID mistaking a northern flicker.

But this bird (pardon the terrible quality: my most silhouetted photos of the day, so I've had to blast them to bring up the plumage at all) really makes a more plausible California red-shouldered than a red-tailed! Any opinions? (Greater Portland area, #Oregon.)

#Birding #hawks #WhatsThisBird

Looking at last Friday’s bird photos, and I’d love an external opinion. I managed to take a few photos of these elusive little ~sparrow-sized jobbers we kept seeing in the underbrush of a scrubwood margin on Sauvie Island. The only good match I’ve found for them is female or immature Lazuli Buntings, which would be a lifer for me. Anyone with more #bunting experience have an opinion?

#WhatsThisBird #birding

EDITED: Lazuli Bunting Consensus!

(Sauvie Island, Columbia River, NW #Oregon, May 24)