MALE HOUSE SPARROW, BOMBAY HOOK NWR,DOVER,DELAWARE, 4/5/18

AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES AT FEEDER, BOMBAY HOOK NWR,DOVER,DELAWARE, 4/5/18

      In the first photo, the American Goldfinch on the right side of the feeder is a male molting from nonbreeding plumage to breeding plumage.  The grey and brown of the nonbreeding male bird is molting to the yellow of the breeding male American Goldfinch and the crown is molting to black.  The American Goldfinch on the left in the first photo is a female also molting from nonbreeding to breeding plumage.  The lower mandible of the bill is still the dark color of the nonbreeding female bird, while the upper mandible has changed to the much lighter color of the breeding female goldfinch.

   In the second photo the male is on the left of the feeder and the female on the right.

MALE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, BOMBAY HOOK NWR,DOVER,DELAWARE, 4/5/18

MALE AMERICAN AVOCETS, BOMBAY HOOK NWR,DOVER,DELAWARE,4/5/18

NORTHERN SHOVELERS, BOMBAY HOOK NWR,DOVER,DELAWARE, 4/5/18

    The ducks with green heads, white breasts and rufous flanks are breeding male Northern Shovelers.  The other ducks are female Northern Shovelers.

GREAT EGRETS IN POND, BOMBAY HOOK NWR,DOVER,DELAWARE, 4/5/18

BUFFLEHEADS, BOMBAY HOOK NWR,DOVER,DELAWARE, 4/5/18

   The Bufflehead in the first two photos is a breeding male.  In the third photo, the duck in the upper left is a female Bufflehead and the one in the lower right is a male.

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