OSPREY IN NEST & ANOTHER EATING, NONQUON SEAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   The Osprey on top of the post seems to be eating something, while its mate is at the nest.

FLOCK OF BONAPARTE'S GULLS, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   This flock of Bonaparte's Gulls has gulls in various stages of their life.  August and September are generally the months when Bonaparte's Gulls molt from one stage of life to another. The Bonaparte's Gull obtains its adult-like plumage after one year.

   The gull at the top in the first and third photos with the brownish plumage and darker bars across the wing is a juvenile Bonaparte's Gull.  The next step is the 1st Winter Bonaparte's Gull.  A good example of this stage is the gull on the bottom of the third photo.  What distinguishes this as a 1st Winter gull is the fair amount of black on the gray wings and its dark ear-spot.

   The next stage after after the 1st Winter is the 1st Summer.  A good example of this 1st Summer stage is the gull in the middle of the first photo.  This Bonaparte's Gull has a black hood mottled with white and a black tail.    A nonbreeding adult Bonaparte's Gull is the middle gull in the fifth photo.  This gull has the black ear-spot and all pale gray (no black) wings of the nonbreeding adult.

   There do not in these photos seem to be gulls with the full black hood of the breeding Bonaparte's Gull, but their seem to be many which are in various stages of molting from breeding to nonbreeding plumage.

   

FEMALE BUFFLEHEAD, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   We can ID this duck as a female Bufflehead by its distinctive oval white patch on its cheek and its grayish sides and underparts.

BREEDING PIED-BILL GREBE, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   We can ID this grebe as a breeding Pied-bill Grebe by its distinctive black ring on its pale stout bill.

MALE PILEATED WOODPECKER, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   We can ID this Pileated Woodpecker as a male by the red stripe on its cheek.

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RUDDY DUCK & DUCKLINGS, NONQUON SEWAGE LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   We can ID this duck as a Ruddy Duck as follows:

• Dark cap.
• White cheek.
• Short thick neck.
• Scoop-shaped bill.

   This adult Ruddy Duck hasse several ducklings followin it.

   The Ruddy Duck is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 310.

KILDEER, WHITBY HARBOR, WHITBY, ON