Bird Indentification - Part 2

I posted a request for habitat information about the bird Fernando posted. Thickets . . . .

Someone else posted an excellent treatise as to what to look for on this bird . . . .

But what I find interesting - and relevant to my other post . . . . I've seen and identified kingbirds in New Mexico and the panhandle of Texas. So when I saw this bird . . . . my first thought was western kingbird - I've seen them before. . . . . And the bird had the pale yellow breast and dark head and feathers. It was familiar. But it is in the details, apparently kingbirds have black tails, not rufous colors.

Back to the spiritual comparisons- often we read passages of scripture and our familiarity can blind us to new truths or sometimes lead us to reject someone else's ideas. As humans we also like being "right."

I kept clinging to my ID as a kingbird, because that bird was familiar to me(and despite the other guys long treatise on why it could not possibly be a KINGBIRD) there were similarities. I can see why I thought the bird was a kingbird . . . . but I can also see at this point why it probably isn't. Even my second guess did not agree with the more experienced birder.

While I've been playing with identifying birds for 25 years, I have not birded as vigorously or as extensively as many birders. Some birds are easy to identify - others more difficult. I think I'll keep the title "Nature Photographer" rather than birder. But even as a nature photographer, I need to be able to accurately identify what I am photographing. So I'll keep on with practicing my birding skills.