CHEEKY THE PET COCKATIEL, ROSETTA McCLAIN GARDEN, SCARBOROUGH, ON

   While walking in the garden we met Cheeky, a pet Cockatiel.  Cheeky has a plastic collar around the neck to prevent it from flying.

MOLTING NORTHERN CARDINALS, ROSETTA McCLAIN GARDEN, SCARBOROUGH, ON

   Northern Cardinals molt from late summer to mid-autumn.  These two cardinals are in different stages of molting.  In the first photo the cardinal is just beginning to molt.  In the second photo the molting is much moe advanced.

JUVENILE RED-TAILED HAWK, BLUFFER'S PARK, SCARBOROUGH, ON

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, STORMWATER TREATMENT CELLS, BLUFFER'S PARK, SCARBOROUGH, ON

COOPER'S HAWK, BLUFFER'S PARK, SCARBOROUGH, ON

   This photo was taken at the stormwater treatment cells at Bluffer's Park.  This is a new species on our Life List, which now stands at 148.

BIRDING HOTSPOTS-OFO FIELD TRIPS TO PALGRAVE/EVERETT GRAVEL PIT/BEETON SOD FARMS &

SPECULUM OF A MALLARD, LOWER REESOR POND, ROUGE PARK, TORONTO, ON

   This photo of a female mallard with its wings spread, shows a good view of the speculum.  The speculum is a brightly colored patch of plumage, often irredescent, on the secondary flying feathers of many ducks.  The mallard, both male and female, have irredescent purple-blue speculums with white edges, as can be seen in this photo.  Sometimes part of the speculum, depending on the birds position, can be seen when the bird is at rest.  The speculum can be used to help I.D. ducks.