BALTIMORE ORIOLE NEST, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

   The male Brown-headed Cowbird is on the left and the famale on the right.

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

RED-NECKED GREBES, THEIR NEST & THEIR EGGS, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

   The Red-necked Grebes nest on floating platforms provided by the park.  They seem to love them for nesting.  In the third and fourth photos you can see the eggs, because the grebe has gotten up from sitting on the eggs and is turning them with its beak.  This is done so the eggs incubate evenly.

BLUE JAY, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

   Even though we can't see the blue color because of the lighting, we can ID this bird as a Blue Jay from its crest, dark necklace, pale gray underparts and white belly.

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FEMALE AMERICAN KESTREL, LINCOLN, ON

   We can ID this falcon as a female American Kestrel as follows:

• Size:  We estimated to be about the size of an American Robin.  A kestrel is about 9", while a robin is about 10", so the size is consistent with it being a kestrel.
• The wings are rufous barred of a female, rather than the gray of a male.
• The tail is the barred tail of a female, rather than the single black tip of a male.

CENTENNIAL LILAC GARDEN, NIAGARA FALLS, ON