BREEDING MALE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, ASHBRIDGE'S BAY PARK, TORONTO, ON, 4/18/18

COMMON LOON, ASHBRIDGE BAY PARK, TORONTO, ONTARIO, 4/18/18

    We can ID this waterbird as a breeding Common Loon (Gavis immer) by it's black head; thick black bill; extensive white and black checkering on back; black neck encircled by a white and black streaked neckband and white breast.
   The Common Loon swims underwater to catch fish and swallows most of its pray underwater. They are agile swimmers, but they move pretty fast in the air.  They have been clocked at 70 mph.  Loons need a long distance to takeoff, anywhere from 30 yds. to 1/4 of a mile, depending on the wind. In order to takeoff they flap their wings and run across the water to gain speed to takeoff.
   Loons only go onshore to mate and incubate eggs.  They generally have two chicks.  A Loon family can eat about 1/2 ton of fish over a 15 week period.
   The Common Loon is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 776.
 

GREATER YELLOWLEGS, BOMBAY HOOK NWR,DOVER,DELAWARE, 4/5/18

LESSER YELLOWLEGS, BOMBAY HOOK NWR,DOVER,DELAWARE,4/5/18

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