Whether through their amazing abilities at camouflage, or just their simple ability to blend into the habitat they're in, birds can sometimes be maddeningly difficult to see. How many times has this happened to you? You heard a bird nearby in a tree canopy. You know it's right there. You get closer and closer and start looking. It sings and sings and all but warbles out loud, "I'm right here, you idiot, can't you see me?" You know you're close enough to practically reach out and touch the bird, but you still can't see it.
If you're like me, this has happened countless times. I stand there looking up into the branches, craning my head left and right, leaning, moving around and around, and I still can't make out the damn bird. Very frustrating. But the fact is, some birds are very good at hiding in plain sight. I’m going to use this opportunity to share some of them with you and see if you can spot the bird.
I’ll start off with an easy one, but be forewarned, they will get harder.
This photo really is too easy. But for it to count, you need to get both Soras. Yes, there are two in the photo! Here’s another easy one to help you develop what will turn out to be a false sense of confidence, ha!
Here’s another one that is easy to see, but it’s a great example of how birds use camouflage.
Let’s move on to something a little more challenging, shall we?
Assuming you’ve had a 100% success rate up to this point, it may be that the photo above is your first real challenge. At least the caption tells you what you’re looking for.
The photo below is not going to be too much of a challenge for most birders experienced with this particular species, as this is a fairly standard photo of the habitat they enjoy and use to stay hidden. Before I post a more cropped photo that gives it away, try to ID it from this shot alone. Got it?
Here we have a blushing beauty doing everything in its power to stay hidden. And it’s doing a very good job hiding in plain sight in these reeds. Do you see it? Its face is obscured, but its bill and most of its body are visible. The caption tells you what you’re looking for.
Sure, you see this one, but do you know what it is? It’s a master of camouflage.
This little beauty is distant, but it's there. Its middle is obscured by the reeds, but its head and tail are visible. See it? Check the caption and squint.
I’ve posted this one before and those of you who are Dawn Chorus regulars may recall what bird is in this shot and maybe even where it’s located.
This bird in plain sight is a bit distant, but it’s there. Your hint is that it’s standing tall. This bird is widely recognized for its coloring and pattern of markings that make it extremely effective at blending into its surroundings.
Lastly, remember that I said at the beginning of this diary that sometimes you can be standing in front of a chirping bird and you still can’t see it even when you know it’s there? That’s the bird in the photo below. I strained my eyes looking for it and I simply couldn’t see it. So I blindly took a photo of the bush hoping that I could find the bird later when I uploaded the images to my computer. And now yes, I can see the bird — a Pacific Slope Flycatcher — but it’s difficult to see. But when you spot it, you say, “Why the heck couldn’t I see it? It’s right there!”
So how did you do? Did you get them all? Now I’ll try to help a little in case you couldn’t spot them. This photo was your first real challenge. The target bird is a Yellow Warbler and you just need to concentrate on dead center in the photo. It’s sitting right there on a branch in the center of the photo. Look again:
Here’s the same bird in another shot where it’s a little easier to see, center-right between the grape clusters.
The next challenge was that big bird hiding in a tree and completely obscured by leaves. Here’s that same photo cropped for a closer look and you can pretty much make out what it is — a Great Horned Owl.
Here’s another view with the bird out on a branch.
Was this one the hardest? I admit it’s a tough one. Look at the center-left and you’ll see it. But look at the photo after this one to see a closer cropped photo and you’ll see it.
Do you see it now?
Here’s another view of this same bird.
The next challenge was this photo:
Did you correctly ID this bird as an American Bittern? I featured American Bitterns in a Dawn Chorus a couple of months ago, so regular DC readers may have gotten this one quickly.
This was another tough one and it also features a bittern, but in this case, a Least Bittern. Did you spot it?
Here it is in a cropped view. Do you see it now? It’s just about dead center in the view.
I was quite a distance away, as you can tell from the first shot. Here’s a much closer look at the Least Bittern. Check out that eye!
Okay, moving on to that shot of a tree. Did you see the bird in this shot? You need to be looking at that dark jagged hole in the center. Do you see it now with that hint?
Here’s what you are looking at. A Western Screech Owl.
Moving on, there’s a bird standing tall in the photo. Did you find it?
How about in the cropped view? It’s dead center.
You can’t miss it in this very cropped view.
Finally, I don’t have another shot of this bird, but I can try to tell you where to look if you don’t see it. If you draw an imaginary vertical line from top to bottom like at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock and then do the same from 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock, the bird is just left of center where the two imaginary lines cross. You’re looking at some brown and gray and then suddenly you see the black eye and then the short gray beak of the Pacific Slope Flycatcher. I truly hope that helps and that you can see it.
I hope you’ve had a little fun with this version of Dawn Chorus. Since it’s Memorial Day weekend, I expect things may be a bit slow here today with people out enjoying themselves while social distancing and other folks traveling. Whatever you’re doing today, stay safe.
What’s going on in your birding world? Tell us in this Open Thread.