MOLTING HOUSE SPARROW, PARKING LOT, TORONTO, ON

   This House Sparrow is molting from nonbreeding winter plumage to breeding summer plumage.  You can see the black patch on its chest starting to form and the rufous nape starting to form.

NORTHERN CARDINAL AT MAKESHIFT BIRD FEEDER IN BACKYARD, THORNHILL, ON

   We've been talking about putting a bird feeder in the backyard.   Sharon decided to invent a makeshift bird feeder from a yogurt cup and try it out.  She hung it from a thin branch, which hopefully would be too fragile for a squirrel to climb on.  It was filled with seed.  Lo and behold, it worked.

   Here is a photo of a male American Cardinal at the makeshift feeder.  On the ground below the female cardinal was foraging.  Maybe the male dropped some seed for her?  We don't know.

ICICLES OVER LAKE ONTARIO, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

   We thought this was a beautiful scene: icicles hanging from a bare tree right by Lake Ontario.

AMERICAN COOT, LAKE ONTARIO, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

   We can ID this bird as an American Coot by its dark gray body, its black head and stubby white bill and its red frontal shield (you can just make out the red in the photo).

MALE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, LAKE ONTARIO, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

      We can ID this duck as a male Red-breasted Merganser in breeding plumage as follows:

• Thin reddish bill.
• Dark head & upper neck with shaggy crest.
• Red eyes.
• White lower neck and rufous breast.

BUFFLEHEADS, CRANBERRY MARSH, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

   The Bufflehead on the left is a male and the one on the right a female.

RING-NECKED DUCKS, CRANBERRY MARSH, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

      The male Ring-necked Duck is on the left and the female on the right in the first photo. The male is distinctive with the black back and white "spur" on side.  The female has a faint pale "spur" and white eye-ring.  In the second photo the female is starting to take off in flight on the left.  The third photo shows two male Ring- necked Ducks.