FEMALE AMERICAN ROBIN, PHYLLIS RAWLINSON PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

JUVENILE CEDAR WAXWING, PHYLLIS RAWLINSON PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

JUVENILE CEDAR WAXWING, PHYLLIS RAWLINSON PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

CANADA GEESE IN FLIGHT, PHYLLIS RAWLINSON PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

NONBREEDING HUDSONIAN GODWIT, WINDERMERE BASIN, HAMILTON, ON

KILDEER, WINDERMERE BASIN, HAMILTON, ON

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT ON ROCK, WINDERMERE BASIN, HAMILTON, ON

BRANT, BAYFRONT PARK, HAMILTON, ON

   This Brant was the lone Brant among a flock of Canada Geese and Ring-billed Gulls.  It really stood out.  The first four photos are closeups of the Brant and the last two show it among the other birds.  We can ID this goose as an adult Brant as follows:

• The incomplete white necklace.  The juvenile does not have this.
• Small dark bill.
• Black head, neck and breast.
• Gray belly with whitish streaks on the flanks.
• Size: The Brant is considerably smaller than the Canada Geese and considerably larger than the Ring-billed Gulls; you can see this clearly in the fifth photo and also in the last photo ( it is the smaller dark bird on the right).  This puts the Brant at about the right size for its species.

   The Brant is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 314.

ADULT & JUVENILE WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, VAN WAGNERS BEACH ROAD, HAMILTON, ON

   The first photo is of an adult White-crowned Sparrow and the second of a juvenile.  We can ID the adult as follows:

• Extensive white on head contrasting with black crown stripe and black eye stripe.
• Gray face and neck.
• Brown wings with two  white wing-bars.

   The juvenile White-crowned Sparrow is gray and brown overall with two white wing-bars and orangish bill.

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, VAN WAGNERS BEACH ROAD, HAMILTON, ON

   We can ID this sparrow as a White-throated Sparrow as follows:

• Bright white throat contrasting with gray cheeks and breasts.
• Yellow supraloral.
• White/tannish eyebrow.
• Black and white striped crown. You can just make out the end of the white crown stripe in the photo.
• Gray bill.

GREAT BLUE HERON, VAN WAGNERS PONDS, HAMILTON, ON

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT IN FLIGHT, VAN WAGNERS PONDS, HAMILTON, ON

EUROPEAN STARLINGS, VAN WAGNERS PONDS, HAMILTON, ON

FLOCK OF RING-BILLED GULLS, VAN WAGNERS BEACH, HAMILTON, ON

GREATER SCAUP, TOLLGATE POND, HAMILTON, ON

   We can ID these ducks as Greater Scaups, rather than Lesser Scaups as follows:

• Rounded head.  The Lesser Scaup has a corner at the rear of the head, while the Greater Scaup has a more rounded head.
• Prominent black nail on bill.  This can be seen in the first photo.

BIRDS ABOVE THE FALLS ON NIAGARA RIVER, NIAGARA FALLS, ON

   The birds on the various rocky islands in the Niagara River just upstream from Niagara Falls are Double-crested Cormorants and gulls, mostly Ring-billed Gulls.

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS ON WAVE TOWER, VAN WAGNERS BEACH, HAMILTON, ON

BREEDING & NONBREEDING CASPIAN TERNS, WINDERMERE BASIN, HAMILTON, ON

   In the first photo both Caspian Terns are in nonbreeding plumage, although the tern on the right is starting to get the more solid black crown and forehead of the breeding Caspian Tern.  In the second photo the tern that is the third from the right

has the completely black crown and forehead of a breeding Caspian Tern.

   Note the Kildeer in the upper left-hand corner of the second photo.

RAPIDS ABOVE THE FALLS ON THE NIAGARA RIVER, NIAGARA FALLS, ON

SPRAY ABOVE HORSESHOE FALLS, NIAGARA FALLS, ON

   These photos show the spray rising from above the Horseshoe Falls.  On the left side of the spray you can see a rainbow beginning to form.

GREAT BLUE HERONS, WINDERMERE BASIN, HAMILTON, ON

AMERICAN COOT, WINDERMERE BASIN, HAMILTON, ON

MUTE SWANS, WINDERMERE BASIN, HAMILTON, ON