AMERICAN GOLDFINCH & THISTLE, CENTENNIAL PARK, BARRIE, ON

   This American Goldfinch is a male In breeding plumage on a thistle plant.  American Goldfinch feed on tree buds, weed seed, particularly thistle seed and some insects.

JUVENILE RING-BILLED GULL, LAKE SIMCOE, BARRIE, ON

BREEDING STILT SANDPIPER, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   Even though it is not a great photo because of the lighting, we can ID this sandpiper as a breeding Stilt Sandpiper as follows:

• Long, drooping bill.
• White eyebrow.
• Long legs with greenish tinge.  You can just make out the greenish tinge on the legs.
• Heavily dark barred underside.
• Dark splotches on the back.

   The Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 309.

BONAPARTE'S GULL IN FLIGHT, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   This Bonaparte's Gull has the dark eye patches of either the juvenile or the nonbreeding adult.

CANADA GEESE IN FLIGHT & IN WATER, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

REFLECTIONS OF A LESSER YELLOWLEGS, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

MALE MALLARD MOLTING TO BREEDING PLUMAGE, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   You can see the male Mallard's neck and head have partially molted into the green of its breeding plumage.  Also, the white plumage of the breeding male has started to show up.