CASPIAN TERNS: IN FLIGHT & IN A FLOCK, WILDERMERE BASIN, HAMILTON, ON

LESSER SCAUP, WINDERMERE BASIN, HAMILTON, ON

   We can ID this duck as a Lesser Scaup, rather than a Greater Scaup, by the shape of its head.  The head has the corner at the rear of a Lesser Scaup, rather than the more rounded head of a Greater Scaup.

KILDEER, TOLLGATE PONDS, HAMILTON, ON

LESSER YELLOWLEGS, TOLLGATE PONDS, HAMILTON, ON

MUTE SWAN FAMILY, WINDERMERE BASIN, HAMILTON, ON

NONBREEDING RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, TOLLGATE PONDS, HAMILTON, ON

   We can ID these three sandpipers as Red-necked Phalaropes as follows:

• White face with dark cap and dark eye patch.
• Black, thin bill.
• Dark above with striations and white below.

Two of the phalaropes have dark napes and the one whose dark nape is almost gone has some buff on ts neck.  These are leftovers from their breeding plumage, which has not completely molted.

   The Red-necked Phalarope is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 312.

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, CASPIAN TERNS & RING-BILLED GULLS, EVERETT GRAVEL PIT, ALLISTON, ON

   The Double-crested Cormorant is the large dark bird.  The Caspian Terns have black caps and orange bills.  The other birds without black caps are Ring-billed Gulls in various stages of development.