BREEDING MALE COMMON GOLDENEYE, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO,ON, 4/20/18

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TREE SWALLOWS, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO,ON, 4/20/18

JUVENILE ICELAND GULL, ASHBRIDGE'S BAY PARK,TORONTO,ON, 4/18/18

   Immature and adult Iceland Gulls were reported on ebird at Ashbridge's Bay Park in Toronto. So yesterday I went to see if I could find one.  With the help from two other birders, I finally sighted and photographed a juvenile Iceland Gull.  The gull was in the water quite far away, so the photo is not great, but good enough to ID it.

   We can ID this gull as a juvenile Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) by its medium size, short all dark bill, overall grey-brown color, dark eye and spotting on the tertials (you can just make this out). 

   The Iceland Gull breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland, although not in Iceland, where it is only seen during the winter.   It migrates for the winter to as far south as the the Northeast, Great Lakes and West Coast and British isles.

   The Iceland Gull is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 777.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

BREEDING RING-BILLED GULL CATCHING A SHELLFISH & OTHER PHOTOS, ASHBRIDGE'S BAY PARK,TORONTO, ON, 4/18/18

   The first three photos show a breeding Ring-billed Gull catching a shellfish.

LONG-TAILED DUCKS, ASHBRIDGE'S BAY PARK,TORONTO,ON,4/18/18

   The Long-tailed Duck in the first two photos is a male molting from winter plumage to spring plumage.  For example, you can still see some of the black on its breast of winter plumage as it molts to the complete white of spring plumage.  The Long-tailed Duck in the third photo is a male that has completely molted to spring plumage.

   The Long-tailed Ducks in the fourth and fifth photos are females in spring plumage.

   

LESSER SCAUPS, ASHBRIDGE'S BAY PARK,TORONTO,ON,4/18/18

   The duck on the left is breeding male Lesser Scaup and on the right a female.

GADWALLS, ASHBRIDGE'S BAY PARK,TORONTO,ON,4/18/18

   The duck in the first photo is a breeding male Gadwall.  The second photo shows a female Gadwall.