There’s still some disagreement about what the earlier images showed (see the excellent summary of Texas birder comments posted by Rafa in the comments to the earlier item), but we now have a number of images that have achieved the standard for a consensus ID of Eastern Phoebe. Yay!
Here are a couple of shots that I think are among the best so far. Here’s one taken by loughman1 at 9:03 this morning:
Here’s another taken by rafa at 10:37:
Not the greatest shots in the world, but I think I’m leaning in the direction of the consensus ID. Congratulations on a new bird for the game!
Update: On further reflection, and considering birderbf’s comment and some more-recent shots of what looks like the same bird, I think I’m now leaning the other way: That this is actually an Eastern Wood-Peewee, rather than an Eastern Phoebe.
After on-cam study, I am now sure we do NOT have an Eastern Phoebe here. In 1/2 hour, it did not bob or flip its tail once. That is a serious problem for a phoebe. Also, in some photos and “in the field” the underside of the beak is visible… and it is orange.
More problem points: the head shape is very hard to make out from that extreme distance, but at several points in time it took on the classic peaked shape of the Conotpus genus (see a photo of mine from 8:43 AM on the 1st September). The head never contrasted with the body in any angle. The smudges on the sides of the breast are too extensive for a phoebe. Any problems for pewee? Not really. The wingbars are faint, but many pewees are worn like this in fall. Primary projection is hard to make out, but at one point it was clear for me and it was very long.
Eastern Wood-Pewee. http://www.bsu.edu/web/00cyfisher/images/EasternWoodPewee.bmp
http://www.flickr.com/photos/utlaw97/1060662230/
Eastern Phoebe: http://www.saltgrassflats.com/images/phoebe_04a_anahuac_nwr_110401.jpg
I am very sure this is an Eastern Wood-Pewee.
I concur with birderbf , in the time I observed the bird today it did not bob it’s tail a sure indication for phoebe.