JUVENILE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, RICHMAND GREEN PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

FEMALE HOUSE SPARROW, RICHMOND GREEN PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

EUROPEAN STARLINGS, RICHMOND GREEN PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

   The European Starling at the upper right is molting from breeding to nonbreeding plumage. The starling still has the completely dark head of breeding plumage, but its bill is dark and it has the numerous white dots of nonbreeding plumage.  The starling on the lower left looks like it has completely molted into nonbreeding plumage.  August-September is generally when this molting takes place.

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

SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, RICHMOND GREEN PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ONz

   The first two photos show a Spotted Sandpiper in breeding plumage.  In the second photo the sandpiper is about to take off in flight.  In both photos you can see the bold dark spots underneath of the breeding plumage.  The last two photos show a Spotted Sandpiper in nonbreeding plumage.  August is generally when the Spotted Sandpiper molts from breeding (summer) to nonbreeding plumage (winter).

EASTERN TAIL BLUE BUTTERFLY, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

      The photos of the  American Golden Plover are somewhat fuzzy because of the distance.  

SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

NONBREEDING SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

KILDEER, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

GREAT BLUE HERON IN FLIGHT, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

JUVENILE RED-EYED VIREO AFTER BANDING, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

   As part of the birding walk we visited the banding station at the park.  While we were there they captured in their mist nets and banded a juvenile Red-eyed Vireo.  The juvenile has brown eyes, not the red eyes of the adult.

MATING OF DAMSELFLIES, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

   These two different pairs of male and female damselflies are in the Pond Damselfly family.  In both pairs the damselfly towards the top of the photos is the male and the one towards the bottom is the female.

   In the first two photos you can see the courtship ritual of the damselfles.  Physical contact is made by the male clasping the female's thorax with its four terminal appendages at the end of the abdoman.

   In the third photo copulation is taking place.  The mating pair form a shape known as a "heart" or "wheel".  It is a continuation of the courtship of the pair from the second photo. The female whose thorax is being held by the male's terminal appendages, curls her abdomen to pick up sperm from the secondary genetalia at the base of the male's abdomen, forming the shape which looks like a heart.

   

NONBREEDING MALE NORTHERN SHOVELER, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

GREAT EGRET & RINGED-BILLED GULL, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

REFLECTIONS OF A GREAT BLUE HERON, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

BREEDING PIED-BILLED GREBE, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

TRUMPETER SWANS, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

GREAT EGRETS,TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

GREAT EGRETS,TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT SWIMMING, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT SWIMMING, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON

EASTERN KINGBIRD, TOMMY THOMPSON PARK, TORONTO, ON