DOMESTIC MUSCOVY DUCK, MILL POND PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

   This duck is either a domestic  Muscovy Duck or a Muscovy-Mallard hybrid.  It has the the red on the face and base of the bill of the Muscovy Duck, but was among a group of Mallards.  It may be a juvenile, so we will wait and see.

SWANS, DUCKS & GEESE, MILL POND PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

CEDAR WAXWING, MILL POND PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH & THISTLE, CENTENNIAL PARK, BARRIE, ON

   This American Goldfinch is a male In breeding plumage on a thistle plant.  American Goldfinch feed on tree buds, weed seed, particularly thistle seed and some insects.

JUVENILE RING-BILLED GULL, LAKE SIMCOE, BARRIE, ON

BREEDING STILT SANDPIPER, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   Even though it is not a great photo because of the lighting, we can ID this sandpiper as a breeding Stilt Sandpiper as follows:

• Long, drooping bill.
• White eyebrow.
• Long legs with greenish tinge.  You can just make out the greenish tinge on the legs.
• Heavily dark barred underside.
• Dark splotches on the back.

   The Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 309.

BONAPARTE'S GULL IN FLIGHT, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   This Bonaparte's Gull has the dark eye patches of either the juvenile or the nonbreeding adult.

CANADA GEESE IN FLIGHT & IN WATER, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

REFLECTIONS OF A LESSER YELLOWLEGS, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

MALE MALLARD MOLTING TO BREEDING PLUMAGE, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   You can see the male Mallard's neck and head have partially molted into the green of its breeding plumage.  Also, the white plumage of the breeding male has started to show up.

BREEDING MALE BUFFLEHEAD, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

ADULT & JUVENILE TRUMPETER SWANS, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   The two larger swans with white plumage and all black bills are the adult Trumpeter Swans.  The smaller swan with the grayish plumage and the bill that is only partially black is the juvenile Trumpeter Swan.

BREEDING BONAPARTE'S GULLS, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

KILDEER, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   The third photo is particlarly interesting as the Kildeer on the right has its wings partitially spread, so you can see the wing pattern.

FEMALE DOWNY WOODPECKER, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   We can ID this woodpecker as a female Downy Woodpecker by the black and white pattern of its wings and head, its short bill and the absence of a red spot on back of its head (the male has such a red spot).

MALE NORTHERN FLICKER, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   We can ID this woodpecker as a male Norther Flicker by its black malar stripe, black breast band and red on nape.

JUVENILE SPOTTED SANDPIPER, RICHMOND GREEN PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

   We identified this sandpiper as a juvenile Spotted Sandpiper as follows:

• Notch of white in front of folded wings.
• Tail is longer than wings.
• Brownish patches on side of breast (rather than very dark patches) indicates it is a juvenile.

BREEDING RING-BILLED GULL, RICHMOND GREEN PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

BREEDING GREAT BLUE HERON, RICHMOND GREEN PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

REFLECTION OF A RING-BILLED GULL, HOLLAND LANDING SEWAGE LAGOONS, EAST GWILLIMBURY, ON

FEMALE WOOD DUCK, HOLLAND LANDING SEWAGE LAGOONS, EAST GWILLIMBURY, ON

GREAT BLUE HERON, CANADA GEESE, SANDPIPERS & DUCKS, HOLLAND LANDING SEWAGE LAGOONS, EAST GWILLIMBURY, ON

     The sandpipers are on the left in the first photo.  We have not been able to ID them because of the distance.

BREEDING BONAPARTE'S GULLS, HOLLAND LANDING SEWAGE LAGOONS, EAST GWILLIMBURY, ON

   We can ID these gulls as Bonapart's Gulls in breeding plumage by their black hoods and black bills.

AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, HOLLAND LANDING SEWAGE LAGOONS, EAST GWILLIMBURY, ON

   We can ID this duck as an American Black Duck by its all dark blackish-brown bulky body, gray neck, dark eyeline and dark cap.  It is probably a male, as indicated by is greenish-yellow bill.

CHIPPING SPARROW, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

FEMALE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, STORMWATER TREATMENT PONDS, BLUFFER'S PARK, TORONTO, ON

JUVENILE HERRING GULL, STORMWATER TREATMENT PONDS, BLUFFER'S PARK, TORONTO, ON