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Thursday, October 5, 2023

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, REESOR POND, MARKHAM, ONTARIO, 10/5/2023 - NEW LIFE SPECIES

   We can identify this goose as a Greater White-fronted Goose (it is at or near the center, among Canada Geese and Mallards), which is a rare vagrant to the Greater Toronto Area, as follows:
  • Brown head and neck with a bright white forehead
  • Orange-Pink bill with cream tip
  • Gray upperparts
  • Orange legs
  • Black tail with a white band at its tip
  • White rump
  • Light gray breast and chest
  • Whitish belly with black splotches.  This gives it the nickname of "specklebelly".
  • You can differentiate this Greater White-fronted Goose from a Lesser White-fronted Goose by the fact it doesn't have the yellow eyering of the Lesser.
   The Greater White-fronted Goose is a new species to our Photographic Life List. Our ebird Life List now stands at 1,081.








 

NONBREEDING PECTORAL SANDPIPER, REESOR POND, MARKHAM, ONTARIO, 10/5/2023


 

KILLDEERS, REESOR POND, MARKHAM, ONTARIO, 10/5/2023


 

NONBREEDING LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER. REESOR POND, MARKHAM, ONTARIO, 10/5/2023



 

AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS: ADULT UNDERGOING PREBASIC MOLT & JUVENILE, REESOR POND, MARKHAM, ONTARIO, 10/5/2023

   The first two photos show an adult American Golden-Plover undergoing prebasic molt. This is the molting from breeding to nonbreeding plumage.  The last two photos show a juvenile American Golden-Plover.







 

CANADA GEESE, MALLARDS & GULLS, REESOR POND, MARKHAM, ONTARIO, 10/5/2023