BRANT, BAYFRONT PARK, HAMILTON, ON

   This Brant was the lone Brant among a flock of Canada Geese and Ring-billed Gulls.  It really stood out.  The first four photos are closeups of the Brant and the last two show it among the other birds.  We can ID this goose as an adult Brant as follows:

• The incomplete white necklace.  The juvenile does not have this.
• Small dark bill.
• Black head, neck and breast.
• Gray belly with whitish streaks on the flanks.
• Size: The Brant is considerably smaller than the Canada Geese and considerably larger than the Ring-billed Gulls; you can see this clearly in the fifth photo and also in the last photo ( it is the smaller dark bird on the right).  This puts the Brant at about the right size for its species.

   The Brant is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 314.

ADULT & JUVENILE WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, VAN WAGNERS BEACH ROAD, HAMILTON, ON

   The first photo is of an adult White-crowned Sparrow and the second of a juvenile.  We can ID the adult as follows:

• Extensive white on head contrasting with black crown stripe and black eye stripe.
• Gray face and neck.
• Brown wings with two  white wing-bars.

   The juvenile White-crowned Sparrow is gray and brown overall with two white wing-bars and orangish bill.

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, VAN WAGNERS BEACH ROAD, HAMILTON, ON

   We can ID this sparrow as a White-throated Sparrow as follows:

• Bright white throat contrasting with gray cheeks and breasts.
• Yellow supraloral.
• White/tannish eyebrow.
• Black and white striped crown. You can just make out the end of the white crown stripe in the photo.
• Gray bill.

GREAT BLUE HERON, VAN WAGNERS PONDS, HAMILTON, ON

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT IN FLIGHT, VAN WAGNERS PONDS, HAMILTON, ON

EUROPEAN STARLINGS, VAN WAGNERS PONDS, HAMILTON, ON

FLOCK OF RING-BILLED GULLS, VAN WAGNERS BEACH, HAMILTON, ON